Mind Games
by sunshine-in-writing
Summary: Rennati Forester is a spunky, Quidditch loving fourteen year old who has recently been forced to move from her beloved France to boring, rainy England. But becoming friends with Harry Potter, as well as Draco Malfoy, spices up her life considerably.
1. Involving A Strange Dream and a Meeting

* * *

_He was walking down a street he both did and didn't know.  
Several people were with him.  
Suddenly there were flashes of light and loud screams.  
Dark hooded figures materialized out of nowhere._  
They shouldn't be here!  
_Then he was struck from behind..._

"Harry! Harry, wake up!" Someone was shaking him. He opened his eyes blearily and saw Ron bent over him, half-dressed.

"Wuzzgoinon?"

"You were dreaming, mate," Ron said, as he finished getting dressed. "That's the third time this week. You'd better get dressed, we're leaving soon." He left the room to get some breakfast. Harry put his head in his hands and tried to remember his dream. All summer he had been having strange dreams that didn't seem to be his, and they all had strong emotions like anger or joy. Or terror, like last night's.

"Harry, hurry up, Mum says breakfast's ready!" Ron called from downstairs, and Harry groaned, got up, and started looking for socks.

When Harry got downstairs, he saw that he was the last one there. All nine Weasleys, plus Hermione, were already in the kitchen. "Hurry up and eat, dear, you have to leave soon," Mrs. Weasley said, putting a plate of pancakes, bacon, and eggs in front of him, but Harry just took a piece of toast. He wasn't hungry. Hermione noticed and frowned.

"Is everyone ready? Then let's go," Mr. Weasley said, and everyone got up and waited by the door for Mrs. Weasley to say goodbye.

"Have a lovely time, dears," she said, hugging them all. As they set off, Hermione and Ron slowed to walk next to Harry at the back.

"Ron says you dreamed again last night," Hermione said, looking worried. "Can you remember anything?"

Harry thought hard. "No, noth- wait! I was in a city that I had never seen before and yet it was familiar, with people I both did and didn't know. But mostly I remember the terror."

Hermione looked happy. "That's great, Harry! That's more than you've ever remembered before!"

"Yes," Harry said slowly. "The trouble is, they're not my memories. It's like I'm in someone else's mind. And I'm pretty sure it's a girl."

"Why a girl?" Ron asked, nearly tripping because he was looking at Harry.

"I dunno... girls think differently than guys."

"You bet we do," Hermione broke in, rolling her eyes. "But that's not the point. The point is that Harry's remembered more than he ever has before. If he keeps having them, he might remember all of it soon." Harry didn't say anything. _But what if I don't want to remember?_ True, he was curious about who the person was, but at the same time, they _were_ someone else's memories, and he didn't want to pry.

"Come on, you three!" Mr. Weasley called from up ahead. "Let's get a move on, shall we? We've got a long way to go before we reach the Quidditch World Cup!"

* * *

The Quidditch World Cup was like nothing Harry had ever seen before. Witches and wizards were everywhere, zooming by on brooms, calling greetings to each other, and generally having a great time. When Mr. Weasley needed someone to go get water, Harry volunteered quickly, wanting to see more of the camp. As he walked along, he looked around for people he knew.

"Ow!" He said as someone collided with him, knocking him down. He rolled over and saw a tall, slim girl with long black hair and bright green eyes standing above him.

"Sorry about that," she said, giving him a hand up. "Though thanks for breaking my fall, it would have hurt a lot if I had hit the ground." She smiled, showing dimples. "I got knocked off my broom."

"Don't worry about it," Harry said, liking this girl immediately. "It's happened to me many times."

The girl suddenly shot him a startled look. "You're Harry Potter." It was not a question.

Harry sighed. "Yes, I am."

The girl smiled. "That's great! My name's Rennati Forester, Renna to my friends." She held out her hand. Harry shook it.

"Obviously you already know who I am, so I don't have to introduce myself. Do you go to Hogwarts? I've never seen you before, but you speak English very well."

"No, I don't; I go to Beauxbatons Academy of Magic, in France. My parents are English though, which is why I speak it so well."

"Do you like to fly?" Harry asked, looking at her broom. It was a Firebolt, one of the best brooms in the world. Renna laughed.

"That's an understatement. Though that reminds me, I have to pay back that brother of mine for knocking me off."

"Ha!" A voice shouted, and Harry looked up to see a boy a few years older than himself hovering overhead. He called something in French to Renna, who laughed and took off. She circled overhead.

"It was nice talking to you, Harry Potter!" She called, before streaking after her brother, yelling something in French. Harry watched them go, then remembered that he was supposed to be getting water for tea.


	2. Involving A Bad Sign and More Meetings

When Renna caught up to Mark, he asked, "Who was that?" While dodging her attempt to knock him off his broom.

"That was Harry Potter," she said, looping over him as he retaliated. Misjudging the distance from surprise, he slipped off his broom, hanging on by one hand. Renna laughed.

"That's enough payback for me, big brother."

"Fine," he said, swinging back onto his broom. "Race you back to the tent!" And they were off, dodging other flyers with ease, showing off. Renna was rammed by a Bulgarian but managed to stay on. Mark, however, was the unfortunate participant in a three-way near-collision, and lost precious seconds extracting himself. Renna put that time to good use, and landed in front of their tent several feet ahead of him.

* * *

That evening was the 422nd Quidditch World Cup, Ireland versus Bulgaria. The Irish Chasers were good, but the Bulgarian Seeker Victor Krum was amazing. He moved as though his broom was a part of him, as if they weren't two separate things. Renna wanted him to get the Snitch so badly, but she wanted Ireland to win just as badly. She screamed herself hoarse when Krum got the Snitch, but Ireland won.

It was, altogether, a wonderful day.

* * *

Renna was awoken by her mother, who looked very pale. "Quick, Renna!" She hissed. " It's the Death Eaters! You have to get up!" She left. Still groggy with sleep, Renna pulled on a pair of jeans, left her black pajama top on, shrugged into her black robe but left it unfastened, and grabbed her wand. She ran outside.

Tents were on fire. Everyone was running and screaming. Coming directly toward her was a group of masked people in cloaks. Someone crashed into her. It was Mark. "Come on! Let's go!" He shouted. He grabbed her hand and began to run toward the forest, Renna doing her best to keep up. Her hair whipped out behind her, getting into a thousand tangles- _Why am I worrying about my hair when I'm running from our equivalent of the Ku Klux Klan?_ Dismissing her thoughts, she concentrated on keeping her feet, terrified of getting trampled in the press of people.

When Renna reached the forest, Mark was no longer with her. After looking around and nervously calling his name, she started walking, going deeper into the forest. people were scattered throughout the forest, talking nervously and looking for friends. She kept walking.

"Ow!" She said as she collided with someone. Rubbing her head, she saw Harry Potter.

"We just keep running into each other, don't we?" She laughed. Harry grinned, his teeth startlingly white in the darkness.

"Hermione, Ron, this is the girl I was telling you about, Rennati Forester. Renna, these are my best friends Ron and Hermione."

"Pleased to meet you," Renna said, shaking their hands. It was too dark to see either of them clearly.

"Does anyone know who those people in masks were?" Ron asked.

"Death Eaters," Hermione said. "They just couldn't resist letting us know they're still there."

"Let's keep moving," Harry said, as something exploded in the campsite behind them.

A drawling voice said, "No matter how far you run, Potter, you can't escape them. They will find you."

"Lumos!" Renna whispered, and her wand tip ignited. In its light she saw a handsome, blond boy leaning against a tree ahead of them with a sneer on his face.

"Who's this, Potty, another mudblood like Granger?"

Renna gasped. Ron started for the boy with a murderous look on his face, and Harry grabbed the back of his shirt to keep him from attacking the boy, but it was Hermione who answered. "No matter how you strive to raise yourself in the eyes of others, Malfoy, language like that will only bring you down farther." She kept walking. Ron, with a last murderous look at the boy, stalked off to join Hermione.

"Friend of yours?" Renna asked Harry dryly.

"Renna, this is Draco Malfoy. Not exactly a friend."

"I could say it's nice to meet you, but since it's not, I won't bother," Renna told the boy, her eyes flashing in anger. "For future reference, both my parents are wizards, but that does not give me the right to act superior to anyone except the people who deliberately degrade themselves in front of me. Present company a perfect example." She walked away, more angry than she had been in a long time. Harry followed her.

"Wow, Renna. I haven't seen anybody take Malfoy down like that. The closest is when Hermione punched him last year."

"I've never been more insulted in my life! Does he do that sort of thing often?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Hermione said, as they caught up to them and kept walking. "Ever since our second year."

They walked in silence for a while.

"Let's stop here," Harry suggested as they reached a clearing. He flopped down on the grass, and Rennati sat next to him.

"Did you _see_ the Wronski Feint Krum pulled on Lynch? Now that was serious flying." Renna had talked about nothing else all evening.

"Yeah. It was incredible." Harry smiled slowly. "I was watching you and your brother, and you're not a bad flyer yourself."

"Well, thanks for that valuable assessment," Renna laughed. "It's good to know that I can fly reasonably well. And you know, that's not fair. I've never seen you fly, so I can't make -ahem- _constructive criticism_ on your flying."

For several minutes they talked about flying and the Quidditch World Cup, but suddenly Harry stopped talking and looked off into the trees. He got to his feet, still staring into the darkness.

"What is it?" Renna asked, but then she heard it too: footsteps. Someone was walking toward them through the trees. Harry shook his head, still trying to see.

"Who's there?" He called. The footsteps stopped, and all four of them could hear harsh breathing. Suddenly a powerful voice shouted,

"MORSMORDRE!"

A large glittering green substance shot into the air from the place their eyes were trying to

penetrate, and rose into the air before shaping a huge skull with a snake slithering out of the mouth. With the feeling as if someone had slugged her in the gut, Renna recognized it.

It was the Dark Mark.

"We have to leave _now_," she whispered, and then the air around them erupted in screams.

"Come _on!_ We have to leave!" She and a white-faced Hermione grabbed Ron and Harry and started tugging them toward the path.

Harry looked at them, bewildered. "But why? And what is that thing in the sky?"

"It's the Dark Mark, Harry!" Hermione said. "It's You-Know-Who's sign!"

"Voldemort's- but, what is it doing in the-"

"Harry, come _on!_" But they had just barely begun to cross the clearing when Renna heard popping noises all around them, and at least twenty wizards Apparated into the clearing.

Without thinking, Renna yelled, "DUCK!" And heard Harry yell the same thing. She grabbed Ron and Hermione and pulled them to the ground next to her.

_"STUPEFY!" _Roared twenty voices, and Stunning spells shot across the clearing. Raising her head very slightly, Renna saw dozens of spells hitting each other, criss-crossing, shooting off into the trees.

"Well, I think this is about as much excitement as I can take this evening," Renna muttered to Ron, who nodded grimly in agreement.


	3. Whoa What's Going On?

**No reviews? Ah well. Perhaps if I beg. Please, please, _please_ REVIEW!**

* * *

A week later Renna stood in her living room, staring at her parents in shock. "We're _moving?_ to _England?"_

Her father nodded. "You know we've wanted to move back for quite some time, and now, with the Dark Mark appearing and everything, we thought it would be a good time."

"When? When are we going?" Renna asked.

"Since school starts in three weeks and you need to buy your new school things, we thought we would leave next week," her mother said, looking relieved that Renna wasn't going to blow up. "We'll help you pack your things with magic."

Renna shrugged. "Fine." She ran upstairs to her room. _I won't see my best friends for a long time,_ she thought. _Gabrielle won't make me laugh this year. We won't play tricks on Fleur, or on anyone._

_But I'll be in the same year as Harry Potter! that'll be fun. And Hogwarts is supposed to be an amazing school._

_And maybe I can meet that very attractive blond boy... No,_ she told herself firmly. _He's one of those pure-blood maniacs. He hates Harry, he'll probably hate me too. I don't care about him._

_Even if he is hot. _

She reached her room and flung herself down on her bed, thinking about Hogwarts, until a scratching on her window made her sit up. A handsome barn owl was perched on her windowsill. She got up and let it in, and it fluttered over to her desk and held out a weary leg, watched avidly by her own barn owl, Sari. From Sari's obvious interest, Renna figured it was male. After she had taken off the letter, she picked him up and put him in Sari's cage. He eyed her with interest before hooting softly. Sari trilled back, and the owl began drinking as though he hadn't drunk in days.

Renna watched this in amusement, then turned her attention to the letter in her hands. Turning it over, she saw that it bore the Hogwarts crest. Opening it, she read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY  
_Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore_

_Dear Ms. Forester, _

_We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all your school things. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31. _

_Yours sincerely,  
_**Minerva McGonagall**  
_Minerva McGonagall, deputy Headmistress_

Rennati sighed. "Well, it looks like I really am going," she said to the owls, who were fast asleep. She sat down to write her reply.

It took her nearly two hours to draft a proper response, because she kept messing up and phrasing it wrong because she was still mad about having to leave her friends. When she was done she woke up the male barn owl, who looked much better and took the letter without complaint. Sari watched him fly out of the window wistfully. "Now don't you start," Renna said to her owl. "You'll see him again soon. It's not as if you don't have enough admirers, anyway. The male barn owls at Beaubatons will be sorry to see you leave, even if the females won't. So you have something to look forward to."

Sari twisted her head almost upside down, then righted it and clattered her beak conversationally. Renna liked talking to her owl. Sometimes it was almost as if she gave replies.

Not to be distracted for long, Renna threw herself back onto her bed and began brooding about Hogwarts again.

* * *

"Hurry up! You'll be late!" Mrs. Weasley hurried them onto the train as the whistle blew.

"Have a good term!" she called as the train started to move.

"Come on, let's find seats," Harry said to Ron and Hermione, and they set off down the train, passing people who glanced at Harry and stared until they went past. Finally they found an empty compartment and stowed their stuff before sitting down. Harry took a seat next to the window and stared out into the gloomy countryside, the weather promising rain.

"You all right, Harry?" Ron asked.

Harry looked up, startled. "Yeah, why?"

Ron shrugged. "You've just been very quiet since we got back from the World Cup, that's all."

Harry smiled. "I'm fine, Ron. Just thinking." He looked back outside as rain started to hiss down the window.

"You guys mind if I join you?" said a voice that Harry recognized, and he whipped around so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash. Rennati was standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame and grinning.

"Renna! But I thought you lived in France!"

"My parents decided to move back," Renna said, shrugging. "So now I go to Hogwarts."

"Sit down," Ron said, gesturing at the seat next to Harry, and Renna sat. "I wonder what they're going to do with you? Probably sort you by yourself." Seeing her puzzled look, he elaborated. "Everyone's sorted into a House, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, or Slytherin. Hope you're not sorted with the first-years. That would be embarrassing."

"You won't be sorted with the first-years," Hermione said, seeing the look of apprehension on Renna's face. "I hope you're in Gryffindor, we need more girls."

"Gryffindor needs more girls like you need more brains, Granger," said another familiar voice, and Harry looked around without much surprise to see Draco Malfoy standing in the doorway, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle.

"Why is it, Malfoy, that every single train ride you insist on bothering us? Is it just that you enjoy annoying us? Don't answer that, I already know you do." But Malfoy wasn't listening; he was looking at Renna, who was staring insolently back.

"So, you're in our school and you immediately attach yourself to the most famous person around. You'll get into trouble, hanging around with them."

"Leave Renna alone," Harry spat, furious. "She hasn't done anything to you."

Draco smiled lazily. "Let the girl speak, Potter. She presumably has a voice. She certainly had plenty to say at the World Cup." Harry jumped to his feet, hand clenched around his wand.

"All right, you guys," Renna said quickly, standing up also and placing herself in between them. "Harry, sit down. I can take care of myself. As for you-" she shot a dirty glare at Malfoy. "I'll talk to you outside." She cut off Harry's words before he could say anything. "I'll be right back." She rolled the door shut behind her.

Harry threw himself back into his seat, more angry than he'd been in a long time. He couldn't hear what Renna was saying, but Malfoy left after a while without doing anything to her. It was pretty obvious that Renna had been dressing him down. She came back into the compartment looking very smug.

"What did you say?" Harry asked, curious.

"I think you can guess," Renna said, sitting down and opening a chocolate frog.

* * *

As soon as the door was closed behind her, Renna said, "Okay, I know that you and Harry hate each other, but if you do anything like that again I will hex you without a moment's hesitation. I have people I don't like, but I don't go out of my way to provoke them. Go ahead and insult each other behind my back -even I can't wipe out years of enmity in one go- but do it in front of me and I will jinx you both."

Malfoy looked amused. "So, basically, what you're saying is that you don't care if I hex him, as long as it's not in front of you? Sounds like you would do well in Slytherin."

"No," Renna said. "I care if you hex him at all, but as long as it doesn't come to my attention I'll let it pass. And as long as you two can keep from antagonizing each other in public -that includes Ron and Hermione- I'll be happy. Is that too much to ask?"

Malfoy smiled. "Like you yourself said, you can't erase enmity in one go. But I don't think that's too hard." He looked at her appraisingly for a moment. "Would you like to come sit with us in our compartment? Like I said, you seem like a person who would do well from meeting the right people. You _would_ do well in Slytherin."

Renna laughed. "Thanks, but no thanks. As long as you can keep that promise, I'll be happy. I'll see you at school." She watched them walk away with a very good feeling inside. He wasn't that bad a guy, really, he just hated Harry. She thought she could do something about that, but she'd have to wait and see. She had been able to control her emotions about him and give him a proper lecture, too. She reentered the compartment with a smile on her lips.


	4. Sorted!

* * *

When they got off the train, Renna stuck close to the trio as they made their way across the slippery, rain-slick cobblestones. She felt someone looking at her and turned to see Draco Malfoy watching. She gave him a polite, meaningless smile and turned her attention to the carriages that they were approaching. They were drawn by a herd of ...

She blinked and looked again. Hogwarts had a herd of _thestrals?_ About to ask Hermione about them, she changed her mind, remembering that only people who had seen someone die could see thestrals, and considering that no one else was pointing them out, she figured none of them had seen anyone die.

_But then why can I- oh. Right. _She had seen a man crushed under a car when she was five. It had given her nightmares for weeks. She entered one behind the others and settled across from Ron. As they wound their way up to the castle, Renna got more and more nervous. What if no one liked her? What if she failed her classes?

When they got into the entrance hall, Harry said, "Let's go find Professor McGonagall; she'll know where you're- aaah! Peeves!" he had just gotten drenched by a water balloon thrown by a tiny little man levitating near the ceiling.

"Peeves!" shouted someone. "Peeves, come down here at once!" Renna looked around and saw a tall silver-haired witch come running into the hall, slip on the wet floor, and nearly fall.

"That's the Professor," Harry whispered. "She's not someone you want to cross. Come on." As Peeves had vanished, the Professor looked around and saw the three of them struggling forward dragging a reluctant Renna.

"Ah yes, this must be our new student. Professor Dumbledore wishes you to be sorted separately, so follow me, please. We can sort you before the first-years arrive."

"Ah, Professor, do you mind if we come?" Hermione asked, and Renna realized that Hermione had come to like her very much on the journey. This made her feel much more confident.

Professor McGonagall hesitated for a moment, then said, "Well, all right, but you have to stay quiet." Exchanging grins, the three followed her.

Professor McGonagall opened the door to her office and ushered them in. Sitting on a stool in the center of the room was the Hogwarts Sorting Hat. It looked very old. Not to mention patched, frayed, and dirty.

"Have a seat," the Professor said, lifting the hat. Renna sat nervously.

Several tense moments passed before Renna heard in her head, "Hmm. Veeery interesting. Lots of ambition, very intelligent, and a relative of- but you obviously don't know that yet, so I shan't be the one to tell you. You'll probably figure it out for yourself, you're definitely smart enough. Now... Where will you go?"

Renna thought, _Any of the houses would be fine, but I would prefer not Slytherin._

"Not Slytherin, hmm?" the voice said. "How ironic; your relative said that too. Yes, my dear, you actually do have a blood relative at this school. But you know, you could do very well in Slytherin. I'm having a serious sense of deja vu right now- no, dear, I won't tell you, so don't bother asking! Well, if not Slytherin, I might as well put you in the same house. GRYFFINDOR." And before Renna could pull it off, the hat said as if to itself, "How very odd! Most definitely one of the oddest sortings I've ever done. And she doesn't know, either! Amazing potential, if she decides to use it."

Renna thought hard, _WHAT DON'T I KNOW! Who am I related to?_ But she only received a chuckle in reply. Pulling it off, she slid off the stool and went over to her grinning friends.

"Now all four of you should head down to the Great Hall," Professor McGonagall said.

They left the office and headed toward the entrance hall, retracing their steps.

"I was really afraid that the Hat wouldn't sort me!" Renna confessed as they descended a flight of stairs.

"So was I when I got sorted," Harry said. "You know, it actually considered me for Slytherin."

All three of them stopped and stared at him. He frowned. "Didn't I tell you that? I think it must have been because it saw I could speak Parseltongue, so it thought I should go in Slytherin." He started walking again, and Ron and Hermione followed him.

Renna didn't. As they turned to look at her, she felt hot and cold in turn. "You can speak Parseltongue?" Her voice squeaked in astonishment.

Harry looked a little nervous. "Yeah. Why? You're not going to hold it against me, are you? I got enough of that in second year."

"No," Renna said faintly. "It's just that - well, so can I."

Silence fell in the corridor. "But, I mean, it's not bad, is it?" Renna pleaded a little desperately. "Because Harry can do it, and if I was bad then the hat wouldn't have put me in Gryffindor, right? And I haven't told anyone else, not even my parents, because I was afraid of what they would say. So it's okay, right?" She realized she was babbling, and stopped.

Harry had been slowly smiling throughout her entire speech, until now he was grinning broadly. "This is great! I'm not the only good wizard who can speak it anymore! Yes! Don't worry, Renna," he added, seeing her worried look. "It's just that I was ostracized in our second year when everyone thought I set a snake on a student. You'll be fine."

Renna smiled with relief as they reached the double doors to the Great Hall, but she didn't say anything, thinking hard. The Sorting Hat had said that her relative could have been in Slytherin as well. And now she knew that Harry could speak Parseltongue also.

Then every thought was blown out of her head as they slipped into the Great Hall.

It was unlike anything she had ever seen anywhere, even at Beauxbatons. The ceiling was enchanted to look like the sky outside, and was stormy and forbidding. Four tables were set up directly in front of them, lit by hundreds of candles floating just over the student's heads.

"The Houses are, from right to left, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin, and Ravenclaw," Hermione whispered. "Come on, let's go sit down." They slipped around the edges of the walls to the Gryffindor table, Renna's presence causing a minor disturbance as heads turned and people wondered who the new student could be. As they passed the Slytherin table, Draco caught her eye. He was smiling a little cynical smile, and as she sat down next to Hermione he raised his glass in an ironic toast to her. She looked down and at that moment Professor McGonagall entered with the first-years, giving her something to look at. But she kept on finding that her mind drifted toward that pale boy two tables away.

* * *

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	5. A Very Reflective First Day Of School

* * *

The first day at school was exhausting, but very exciting. At breakfast Renna received a letter from her best friend Gabrielle. She read it over, smiling. Gabrielle hadn't changed at all so far, judging by the letter. Harry tried to read it over her shoulder, but he took one look and found that he couldn't.

It was, of course, written in French. Renna laughed at his expression and said, "It's from my best friend. Basically she says-" she quickly scanned the letter again "-that the Triwizard Tournament is taking place, which we already knew from last night, and that her sister Fleur is one of the contestants. She also says that she's coming as well. I wonder why."

They were interrupted by Professor McGonagall, who was handing out course schedules. Renna was taking Potions, Defense against the Dark Arts, Arithmancy, History of Magic, Astrology, Transfiguration, Charms, Care of Magical Creatures, Ancient Runes, and Herbology. All of them she had with the threesome except for Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, which she had with Hermione.

After they finished breakfast they left for their first class, Charms. Renna was surprised to learn that each House had its own head, and commented on it as they began to go up a hidden staircase. Hermione asked, "Why is that strange?"

"Well, they just do it differently at Beauxbatons," Renna said, noticing that they all jumped over a step and also jumped over it.

"How do they do it there?" Ron asked. Renna looked up, surprised.

"Oh, there are no houses. The students aren't sorted, just everyone sleeps together sorted by year and, of course, gender. It isn't so much of a castle there as a palace, and it's very large." They passed through a tapestry and entered a hidden passage. "The classes are pretty advanced. We place a lot of emphasis on Charms and Transfiguration. We have many tricksters, probably because in our classes we are punished for talking too much and have to put a lot of effort into our schoolwork. Here, it seems like Peeves does most of your work for you, and I haven't seen any real tricksters like -ahem- I was."

"Dost mine ears deceive me?" someone said behind them. "No tricksters in this school? I pity you, my dear. Clearly we have not been introduced." Two identical redheaded boys with a resemblance to Ron joined them, taking Harry's and Hermione's places next to Renna.

"So, allow me to introduce us," continued the boy on the left. "We are Fred," he indicated his twin "and George Weasley, Trickster Extraordinaires of this school. We rule the roost with very little competition, it is true, but we make up for it in our pranks. Perhaps sometime we can prove our skill in a -ah- little demonstration."

Renna, laughing at this speech, said, "Oh, no. No tricks on the new girl who doesn't know her way around. That's just cruel. Later in the year I might have reason to start watching out for pranks, but not in the first months!"

"These are my brothers, Renna," Ron said dryly. "They're not exaggerating; they really _are_ the biggest pranksters in the school."

"Aided and abetted by our henchman, Lee Jordan," Fred said, indicating the black-haired boy who had come with them.

"A henchman, am I?" Lee said in a would-be horrified voice. "After all my long years of service, I am merely introduced as a henchman? I am deeply wounded."

"Yes, well, casualties are to be expected in such a dangerous business as trickstering," George said with serene callousness. "You'll survive." Lee cuffed his friend. George ducked, laughing.

"Well, I bet I could teach you three a few tricks of the trade," Renna told them, grinning. "Especially about not getting caught; my friend Gabrielle was an escape artist, and she passed on her great wisdom to me. I made up the tricks, and she kept us out of trouble. For the most part."

"I look forward to spending my free time in your illustrious presence," Fred said, bowing elaborately as they arrived at the Charms classroom. "Until then, fair maiden!" The three boys moved off down the corridor to their own class.

"Did you really break rules, Renna?" Hermione asked as they entered the classroom.

"Yeah, I did," Renna said, still smiling over the encounter with the twins. "And the brilliance of it is that because I was at the top of the class and got along really well with the teachers, although we were caught and did have a reputation for troublemakers, the teachers usually didn't punish us too badly. If we did something bad enough to merit a visit to the Headmistress, though- well! We would get in a lot of trouble. Madame Maxime is very strict."

They sat at the front of the class, the boys asking for details of some of the tricks she had performed and Renna answering with relish. Some of her best memories were of playing tricks on teachers and fellow students at Beaubatons with Gabrielle, and even the times they were caught were fun. The rest of the class came in, all smiling at Renna and saying hi before they sat down. When Professor Flitwick entered, everyone stopped talking and settled down to the lesson.

Renna didn't see it, but Harry kept glancing over at her thoughtfully through the lesson, but always looked away before she noticed.

* * *

When I entered the classroom, I remembered that we had this class with the Gryffindors. I glanced around and saw that new girl Rennati talking to Potter while waiting for Professor Moody to arrive. Suppressing an odd surge of jealousy, I walked to the row behind the Gryffindor foursome and sat down. Pansy inserted herself into the chair on my left. I did my best to ignore her, but had only limited success. "Hey, Draco," she said with a sly smile. Ignoring my silence and inching closer to me, lowering her voice, she said, "So what do you think of the new girl in Gryffindor? I bet she's muggleborn. Hanging out with Potter and that stupid Granger, she couldn't be anything else."

"Have you ever talked to her?" I said suddenly, turning to look at her for the first time.

Pansy looked startled. "No, of course not."

"Then how do you know if she's muggleborn unless you ask her?" I said.

Pansy's face began to turn red. "Why would I lower myself to talk to her? She's a Gryffindor, and she hangs out with Potter, Weasley and Granger! And how do _you _know that she's _not_ muggleborn?"

"Because," I said coldly, "I have actually talked to her. Twice. She was actually considered for Slytherin by the Sorting Hat-" I was stretching the truth there, because I didn't know if she had, but it was a good assumption "- and she's incredibly ambitious. She is, as a matter of fact, pureblood. She told me." I didn't mention that at the time we had spoken I came across as a complete prat and was worth her scorn. Pansy didn't need to know something that was still a sore point for me.

Pansy hissed, "Well, if she's so wonderful, then why don't you go sit with her? Or invite her to take my seat!" and she moved to sit with her gang of friends.

Feeling satisfied, I turned my attention to the front of the class as Professor Moody entered. I was a little disturbed by Pansy's last remark, because my first, and hastily repressed, reaction, was to take her up on that. I didn't, of course. But even wanting to was very odd.

I had a hard time concentrating at first. Rennati was sitting directly in front of me and I found myself idly watching the glint of the sun on her hair. That was before Moody started talking about the Unforgivable Curses. When he asked if anyone knew of any, I raised my hand. I knew about all three from my dad. Rennati also raised her hand, along with, to my surprise, that idiot Longbottom. Granger, of course, also had her hand up, with Weasley. But we were the only ones in the entire class, and I was the only Slytherin.

He called on me after Weasley and Longbottom had identified the Imperius and Cruciatus Curses. Rennati's hand had gone up repeatedly, so she also knew all of them. So, typically, had Granger's. But he called on me.

"_Avada Kedavra,"_ I said softly. This spell gave me the creeps. My dad, when he had told me about it, had demonstrated it on a dragonfly. It had freaked me out really badly, and now Moody was going to demonstrate it again on that spider. Whoopee.

When the class was over, I slung my bag over my shoulder and headed for the door quickly. Caught in the press of kids, I knocked into someone. "Sorry," I said automatically, and then saw that it was Rennati. "Oh, um, sorry," I said again.

"It's okay," she said, smiling.

I smiled back. Thinking that I could at least get in some good lines now, I said, "So I hear you're quite the naughty girl, huh?" Damn, damn, not the best thing to say when you're trying to prove to a girl that you're not just a hormonal bastard. Not a good thing at all. I furiously tried to think of something to repair the damage, but I was afraid that something stupid would come out of my mouth again.

But then I saw the other three Gryffindors approaching. I didn't want to deal with them, so I said, "Um, okay, well, I guess I'll see you around. We've got a lot of classes together." I turned away from her just as Potter looked up and saw me. He scowled as I walked away, and when I looked back he was talking to Rennati, probably asking her what I said. He glanced up and saw me watching and scowled again. I grinned cheekily at him and made a rude hand gesture. Renna caught it and glared at me. I winked at her and kept walking along the corridor, feeling rather good about myself. Despite making a fool of myself, I had managed to piss off Potter yet again.

But why had I made such a fool of myself? I had said sorry, then when I saw who it was had apologized again. What had made me do it?

I entered the Great Hall and slung my bag onto the ground, slouching into a chair. Rennati entered right behind me and I noticed sourly that most of the boys followed her progress to the Gryffindor table. She was completely oblivious, talking eagerly to Granger She was ridiculously gorgeous. As she sat down she glanced over at me, and I looked away quickly.

* * *

As Renna sat down at the Gryffindor table for lunch, she looked over at the Slytherin table and caught Malfoy watching her. He turned back to his own table, but she had a harder time of concentrating on what Hermione was saying about the Unforgivable Curses after that and instead replayed her encounter with Malfoy in the hallway. She had been putting her book back in her bag when she felt someone bump into her. She looked up and saw Malfoy.

Just seeing him that close to her had made her heart thump painfully in her chest, but she had managed to keep calm and act normal throughout their brief encounter. When Harry had asked her what he had said, she just said that he'd run into her and had apologized. When Harry had seen him watching and Malfoy had made a rude hand gesture, Renna had frowned and hoped that he remembered their conversation on the train. He winked at her and then was lost in the crowd.

* * *

After dinner, when everybody else was in bed, I went for a walk through the corridors to think a little. Avoiding Filch, Mrs. Norris, and Professor Snape easily, I traveled the moonlit corridors without really paying attention to where I was going.

Eventually I arrived at a window that overlooked the lake, and I sat down in the deep windowsill. Staring over the lake, I was struck by how very quiet it was. I couldn't hear anything. The lake was like glass, and the moon was reflected perfectly on the surface. Nothing moved at all.

I relaxed against the window and let all of my surface thoughts drift away, thinking of nothing in particular, just savoring the quietness. But someone kept on intruding into my thoughts, and finally I just gave in and thought about her. As beautiful as all this was, I would rather be doing something else with someone else.

* * *

Renna couldn't sleep. Finally she crept out of bed and pulled on her jeans and favorite T-shirt and tugged her black robe on over them, but left it unfastened in the front, liking the effect it had when she walked and it belled out behind her.

She left the girl's dormitories and stepped silently down the stairs into the Common Room. It was empty and dark, the fire mostly coals by now. She pushed open the portrait hole and stepped out into the hallway.

"A little late for a stroll, isn't it, dear?" The Fat Lady asked as she swung closed behind Renna.

"Oh, hush," Renna said absently. "I couldn't sleep." She walked down the hall, not thinking of anything in particular. She didn't pay attention to where she was going, which was probably a bad idea; she didn't know her way around the castle yet.

She was also extremely lucky to not meet any of the Hogwarts rule keepers in the halls, but she didn't know that.

She turned a corner into a moonlit corridor and stopped. Someone was sitting in a windowsill about halfway along the hallway. She approached silently, and when she realized that it was Draco Malfoy, her heart gave a little jump.

He was staring out into the grounds, the moonlight turning him into an ice prince. Softly, not wanting to startle him, Renna said, "Draco?"

He turned his head and saw her standing in the shadows behind him. He smiled. "Couldn't sleep either?" he said, pulling his legs up and giving her room to sit down.

"Not really," she said, taking the proffered seat. "You?"

"Yeah," he said, looking out at the lake. "Every once in a while I go for a walk in the corridors, just to clear my mind." He sighed. "Everything's so peaceful after dark." She watched him for a little while, and then he turned his head and smiled wryly. "What?"

Renna blushed, but said, "Why do you and Harry hate each other?"

He was startled, she could see that quite clearly. He began to answer automatically, but she cut him off. "Do me a favor. Just think about it for a while. Why do you hate Harry?"

He sat for a moment, his changing emotions flickering over his face and discomfort in his eyes.

* * *

I couldn't believe it. The most beautiful girl I had ever met was sitting across from me, our knees practically touching, and a philosophical question hanging in the air between us. My automatic reaction was, "Because he's a Gryffindor and an idiot, and is full of himself because of a stupid scar," but when I started to say that, she cut me off and asked me to think about it for a while.

So I did. And the more I sat there, the more I realized that I had never asked myself that question before. Why _did_ I hate Harry?

Well, because I had always been told that I should hate him by my father, because he brought down the Dark Lord and restored Muggle lovers like Dumbledore to power. Plus he was a Gryffindor, and Gryffindors were naturally the enemies of Slytherin.

But had I ever given him a chance? Maybe because it was night and I was thinking differently, but the only reasons _I_ could think of for why I hated him was because that was what I had been told to do. And out of my own experience, he always grabbed every chance he got to be in the spotlight.

"Well," I said slowly, "He's always seemed very full of himself and always grabs every chance to be in the spotlight."

"But think about it," Rennati said softly. "Has he _ever,_ as you say, grabbed the spotlight, or has it been forced on him because of something he did when he was so young he can't even remember it? When has he done that, out of your own experience of him? I'm genuinely curious; you've known him for much longer than I have. I want your opinion."

Once again, I thought about it. Once again, maybe it was the moonlight making me think differently or something. _There was that time in our second year when he walked into Flourish and Blotts and ended up on the front page with that dumb Lockhart,_ I remembered. _But he didn't make his own way to the front and ask for them to take his picture. From what I remember, Lockhart jumped on him and pulled him up. And wasn't he blushing?_

"There's also the fact that he's a Gryffindor," I said, sidestepping her earlier question about my experiences of him. Only after I said it did I realize that she was also a Gryffindor, and I had just insulted her.

I winced. She just said, "I would think that you'd know that Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin were best friends before they fought over that stupid prejudice about pure blood. _Best friends._ I don't expect you and Harry to buddy up all of a sudden, but think about that. And think about the fact that the Founders broke their friendship over pure blood. And tell me if you think that's a stupid reason."

I was silent again. _There was that time when he set a snake on that Hufflepuff,_ I thought. But I didn't speak Parseltongue; how could I, or any of the school really, know what he said? The snake hadn't bitten the boy; it had curled up and watched Harry, but it hadn't hurt anyone. Had we all just reacted because we heard Parseltongue? And why would he do that, in front of the entire school? What was the gain for him? He had to put up with people thinking that he was the Heir of Slytherin for the rest of the year; that seemed rather counterproductive, to me.

"Well, he brought down the Dark Lord," I said, then winced yet again, realizing that that made me sound like a Death Eater.

"Did he really?" Renna said, sounding a little surprised. "I thought that he sat on his cot while the Dark Lord killed his mother and then tried to kill him, but for some unknown reason the killing curse backfired onto the caster. Doesn't sound like he did very much at all."

_Dammit, I hate it when she's right,_ I thought, annoyed. _And unfortunately she's right quite often._ She had just shot down all of my arguments, and left me feeling rather stupid. _I dunno why I hate him, but I just _do!

"Will you do me favor?" Rennati said suddenly, and I drew myself out of my thoughts and looked at her. "It's getting late. Will you think about that stuff, and then ask yourself if you have justification to hate Harry? And one more thing. Have you _ever_ tried to get to know Harry, himself, instead of the person everyone else says he is? Have you _ever_ tried to learn who the boy is behind the Boy Who Lived?"

She stood up, unfolding herself from the windowsill. I followed her. She was a few inches shorter than me. She smiled up at me happily, with the light of the moon falling on only half of her face and turning her into something magical. "Well, I suppose I should start back to Gryffindor Tower now," she said, turning away. Then she stopped and muttered something under her breath. "Shit."

"What is it?" I asked. She was frowning, a little embarrassed.

"I don't know how to get back to the Gryffindor common room," she confessed, running her hands through her hair distractedly. "Of all the times for my status as New Kid to kick in, it had to be now."

I grinned. "Well, that can be solved easily," I said. "Just nock over that suit of armor over there, and that will bring Filch at a run, and he'll take you back to the Tower. Maybe not right away, but you'll get there eventually." I laughed at the horrified look on her face. "I was just joking. Come on, I can take you back."

"Why am I not surprised that you know the way to Gryffindor Tower?" Rennati said rhetorically, following me as I began to walk down the hallway.

We didn't talk much on the way back, keeping an eye out for any of the authority figures who prowl the corridors after hours.

"Good night, Rennati," I said when we had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady that marked the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. She had already opened it, after I had covered my ears so that I wouldn't hear the password.

"Call me Renna," she said, turning to me. "Good night, Draco." She smiled. "Think about our conversation, will you?"

"I will," I promised. I paused, then bent and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead. "Good night." I watched her enter the tower, then turned and headed down to the dungeons and the Slytherin common room, thinking about many things.

* * *

**R/R, please! Even if you don't like it, say something!**


	6. The Arrival of Beaubatons

* * *

It was Halloween eve. The entire school was standing outside on the grounds, waiting for the delegations from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons to arrive. Renna's cheeks were pink from excitement and cold, and her green eyes were sparkling. Gabrielle would be here any minute!

"You look very excited," Harry murmured in her ear. She glanced at him, still smiling.

"If your best friend since childhood was arriving, wouldn't you be excited?" she asked.

"Except for the small fact that I never had any friends until I came here, yes, I would be excited," he said, his eyes -the same shade of emerald as hers- scanning the grounds. "How do you think they're going to be arriving? Brooms?"

"I doubt it," Renna said. "Not from France. And Madame Maxime hates brooms, anyway."

"How then?" Ron asked.

Renna shrugged. "It was never an issue while I was at school. I have no idea."

Almost as soon as she stopped speaking, Dumbledore announced that the delegation was approaching. She looked around eagerly.

While Madame Maxime exited the huge carriage and greeted Dumbledore, Renna had been watching the doors for Gabrielle. She was probably the only one to see the students exit behind Madame Maxime, and with a thrill of happiness she spotted Gabrielle, also searching the students with excitement. She spotted her and waved slightly. Renna waved back, but couldn't do anything else while they were outside.

As soon as the feast was going, Renna said, "I'm going to go over to the Ravenclaw table, okay guys?" Harry looked at her knowingly and nodded.

Renna hurried over and slid into the seat that Gabrielle had saved for her gladly and hugged her friend as hard as she could. Gabrielle returned the favor, then started asking questions. "How are you? Are you enjoying your new school? Do you miss me? Are you having fun? What's it like here?" Gabrielle finally paused in her questioning and looked around the hall in bewilderment. "And why are there four tables?"

Renna laughed and said, "Gabrielle, you idiot. There are four tables at Beauxbatons as well."

"Well, yeah, but I mean, here it seems like the students are segregated or something," Gabrielle said. "So what's the deal?"

"It looks like they're segregated because they kind of are," Renna explained. "There are four Houses, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. I'm in Gryffindor. At the beginning of the year the new students get sorted into one of the four houses, and they eat together, sleep together, and take classes together. Weird, huh?"

"Most definitely," Gabrielle agreed. "So will you get in trouble for sitting with me here?"

"No," Renna said, smiling. "People are allowed to go sit at other tables, which is a relief. Imagine if your boyfriend was in a different house and you couldn't sit with him!"

"That would definitely be awkward," Gabrielle said thoughtfully. "So," she continued briskly, "Who do you hang out with? How many new friends have you made? And," she lowered her voice, "Who is that _hot _blond boy staring at you? He hasn't stopped since you came over here."

Pretty sure that she knew who Gabrielle was talking about, Renna glanced over at the Slytherin table. True to her guess, it was Malfoy. He raised an eyebrow at her and mouthed, _How do you know her? _

_Tell you later, _Renna mouthed back, then turned to Gabrielle and said, "That's Draco Malfoy. He's a Slytherin-" she stopped at the look Gabrielle was giving her. "What?"

"What was that little exchange about?" Gabrielle asked innocently. "Tell him later? Are you two going out or something?"

"No!" Renna said hastily. Gabrielle raised her eyebrows disbelievingly. Renna sighed. "We're not," she said. "Even if I wish we were. We just talk sometimes, and he's a nice guy once you get to know him."

Gabrielle laughed and said, "So I was right! You do like him!"

Renna sighed. She had never been able to keep anything from Gabrielle before, and she hadn't really expected to now. "Yes," she admitted. "I do."

"Well, I don't blame you at all, sweetie," Gabrielle said, glancing at him again. "He is drop-dead gorgeous. Now back to my earlier question. Who are you friends with?"

"Look over there," Renna said, pointing at the Gryffindor table. "See where I was sitting? The boy on the left is my first friend. I met him at the Quidditch World Cup. The girl on the right is Hermione Granger, and the boy next to her is Ron Weasley. Those three are my best friends, but most of the people are really nice and I'm getting to know a few other people as well."

Gabrielle nodded as she digested this information, then glanced at Renna sharply. "You didn't tell me the name of the first boy."

Renna winced. She had hoped to get by that. "Well, okay, as long as you promise not to freak out too badly."

"Okay, now I'm intrigued," Gabrielle said, looking at him again. "So who is he?"

Renna sighed. She couldn't see any way out of this. "Okay," she said, running her hands through her hair. "He's- he's Harry Potter."

Gabrielle stared. Then she squealed, "Are you serious? Your very first friend is Harry Potter? You're _joking!" _

"Who is joking about what, Gabrielle?" said a voice, and Renna looked up to see Gabrielle's older sister Fleur looking at her in surprise. "Oh, hello Rennati." Then she turned her gaze back onto her sister. "What is Rennati joking about?"

"Nothing," Renna said quickly, trying to give Gabrielle the clue to _shut up right now._

She didn't take the hint. "Renna's best friend is Harry Potter!" She said excitedly.

Fleur, startled, looked back at Renna, whose face was in her hands. "Really?" she said, smiling. "Wow, Rennati. Getting a little ambitious, are you?"

"He's not bad-looking, either," Gabrielle observed, watching him. "Will you introduce me later?" she said, turning her pleading look on Renna.

Renna groaned and whacked her. "Jeez, Gabrielle! Think about something other than boys for once!"

"Well, what else is there to think about?" Gabrielle said with serenity. "So, will you?" Renna suddenly grinned.

"Yes, I will," she said. "I've told them a lot about you, and they want to meet you. Harry in particular."

"Wait," Gabrielle said, looking a little uneasy. "Good stuff, or bad stuff about me?"

Renna grinned wickedly; she knew that Gabrielle was almost in love with Harry. This was going to be a fun year. "I think I'll just leave you in suspense," she said. "For now-" she ducked the arm Gabrielle swung at her and continued, "Shall I tell you a little about him?" giving in at the stricken look on Gabrielle's face, Renna said, "I told him that we were tricksters, and he seemed very interested." She grinned reminiscently. "I told them about the time when we -ah- well, remember the professor's underwear?"

Gabrielle laughed. "You told them about that?" she said, still laughing. "Probably our finest hour. That was beautiful."

"Wait," Fleur said. "You two were the ones who put Professor Dumont's underwear on that cat and let it run through the Hall during lunch on her _birthday?" _

"They couldn't catch it for ten minutes," Renna said, tears of laughter sparkling in her eyes at the memory. "And couldn't calm down the hall for another twenty minutes. A bright pink thong, too. With black hearts on it, remember?"

"You two have deranged minds," Fleur sighed. Then she smiled. "It was funny, though."

After dinner was over and everyone was getting up to leave, Renna dragged Gabrielle over to the Gryffindor table to meet her friends. As she passed Draco, he pressed a piece of paper into her hand. She slipped it into her pocket, but ignored it for now.

Harry and the others were waiting for her. "Guys," she said in English, "This is my best friend Gabrielle Delacour. Gabrielle, this is Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger."

"Hello," Gabrielle said in accented English. "It is very nice to meet all of you." Then she grinned, her eyes sparkling. "And I hope that Rennati has not told you too many bad things about me!"

"I haven't said anything bad about her, have I, you guys?" Renna said, turning to Harry for support, but feeling a little nervous when she saw that Harry was grinning. "_Have_ I, you guys?"

"Oh, I don't know," Harry drawled, his eyes dancing. "There was the time when you told us about-"

"Harry!" Renna cut in, half horrified and half laughing. Then they were interrupted by Fleur.

"Rennati, we are leaving now," she said, coming to a halt in front of them. "I need to take Gabrielle with me, for, even if you have forgotten, you two do not share a dormitory anymore!" she smiled.

"Shoot!" Gabrielle said. "I _had_ forgotten!" she turned to Renna and said, "I'll se you tomorrow, right?" then she smiled. "Maybe I can sit with you guys at the Gryffindor table."

"See you tomorrow, Gabrielle," Renna said. Gabrielle hugged her, then said goodbye to the threesome and walked off with her older sister. Renna turned back to her friends and found them all staring at her. "What?"

"I guess it just never sunk in before that you speak French fluently and have this whole other group of people that speak it too," Hermione said. Glancing at Ron and Harry, who were a little dazed from the meeting with Fleur, she added, "And that you actually know some very attractive girls."

Renna giggled. She had forgotten that she had spoken French with the girls from Beauxbatons. It was second nature for her to switch back and forth, because at school she had spoken French and at home English. "Fleur and Gabrielle are part veela," she told the boys. "Their grandmother was one, and I think their mother might be one as well. Don't let the looks take you over," she advised them. "There is much more to a person than just looks."

As they headed upstairs to their dormitories, Renna remembered Draco's note. She pulled it out, unfolded it, and read:

_Renna, I'd like to talk to you. Will you meet me outside the Gryffindor common room at twelve tonight? _

_Draco _

Renna folded up the note and slipped it back into her pocket. She hadn't really talked to Draco since that night over a month ago, when she had asked him to think about why he hated Harry. Reminded of that, she glanced over at Harry. She also needed to talk to him about it.

She grinned. These boys didn't have a chance. She hadn't told anyone, but another one of her skills at Beaubatons had been mending quarrels and enmity. She thought that she had gotten somewhere with Draco, too. He had seemed very thoughtful lately, and hadn't done anything to Harry that she knew of for a while.

* * *

At twelve o' clock that night, a dark figure slipped into the deserted common room and crept across to the portrait hole.

Renna felt like she was on an assignation, and had dressed accordingly. Under her open robe she wore a dark red shirt with a low neckline that was cut so close to her skin that it left little to the imagination. She wore a pair of jeans that settled low on her hips and hugged her legs before flaring out gracefully. She didn't bother with makeup, because it was dark, and rationally she knew she shouldn't be bothering with her clothes so much either, but she couldn't help it. She left her hair loose.

When she exited through the portrait hole, a dark figure separated itself from the shadows and approached her. She looked up into swirling gray eyes as a voice whispered, "You came. Come on," he said, taking her hand. "Let's go somewhere else."

She followed him through the corridors and out onto the grounds. It was chilly, and she was glad that she had brought her robe. She didn't realize that she was smiling.

* * *

As we walked across the grounds toward the lake, I turned my head and watched her. She was smiling, the wind blowing her hair and robe back to reveal her clothing. She looked beautiful, the moonlight making her almost mystical and her outfit adding to that impression. I was still holding her hand, and I didn't want to let go. So I decided not to. If she wanted to let go, she could.

We reached the edge of the lake and sat down beneath a tree. We watched the wind make ripples on the lake for a while before she said, "So, what did you want to talk about?"

I brought myself back to reality and said, "Several things, actually." I sighed softly. "Might as well start with the biggest one."

"Let me guess," she said, smiling at me. "Harry."

"Brilliant deduction," I said. I looked out over the lake and ran my hands through my hair, frustrated. "I thought about what you said. I thought about it a lot, actually, and went through all of the things I could remember about him. I couldn't find one where he thrust himself into the spotlight. So honestly? I don't know why I hate him. And you know it's not just Harry. It's Weasley and Granger, too. I guess-" I stopped for a moment, but didn't look at her. "I guess I've just always assumed that he was someone I should hate."

"Draco, look at me," she said. I turned my head and complied. She was smiling. She was also looking at me as if I was more than a little dense. I flushed, just slightly. "You may have noticed that I have no enemies. I have no one that I truly dislike, either. There are people who don't get along with me, but I can usually ignore them. I didn't have any enemies at Beauxbatons, either. I don't see the point of antagonizing someone to the point where they become my enemy. And I don't understand why others would, either."

_Beauxbatons, _I thought. _That's another thing. _"That's another thing I wanted to talk to you about," I said. "You never said you went to Beauxbatons. That is, I assume you did from the way that Beauxbatons girl greeted you."

She smiled. "That was Gabrielle; she was my best friend. And yes, I did go to Beauxbatons once upon a happy time. Up until this year. That's why I can speak French."

"You can speak French?" I asked, interested. "That's a stupid question. If you'd gone to Beauxbatons up until now of course you can speak French."

She laughed and looked out, over the lake. The wind had died down. She shivered slightly and moved closer to me. I put my arm around her and she nestled in even closer, laying an arm across my chest. We sat there for a while, just enjoying the quiet night. The Durmstrang ship was moored a little ways away on the lake.

After a while she stirred and said, "We should probably go back to the castle." She looked up at me. "Draco?" she started to get up, but I pulled her back down.

"Just a little while longer."

We stayed for about five more minutes, and then I acknowledged that we did have to go back to the castle. I sighed and said softly, "Renna?"

She didn't answer. I craned my head around to look at her face and found that she had fallen asleep. I picked her up gently and cradled her against my chest. Her only reaction was to snuggle closer. Carrying her was easy - she was ridiculously light.

About halfway to the tower she stirred and said drowsily, "Draco?"

"You fell asleep," I murmured quietly. "We're almost there." She let her head fall back against my chest but didn't go back to sleep, I could tell.

When we reached the portrait of the Fat Lady she sat up. I set her down gently and said, "Good night, Renna."

"Wait," she said. I paused in the act of turning away and turned back to face her. She pulled my head down to hers and kissed me. I stiffened with shock; then my hands slid around her waist and I deepened the kiss. Her arms went around my neck, to play with my hair. She broke off the kiss and slid her hands down to my chest. Then she grinned wickedly. "Good night, Draco."

I smiled and kissed her softly once before turning and walking down the corridor to my own common room.

* * *

"I'm telling you, he didn't put his name in the Goblet of Fire!" Renna yelled. Her hands were clenched into fists and she was on the verge of pulling out her wand and hexing Malfoy into a pile of pieces.

"Oh really? Then please explain how it got there?" Malfoy replied with no less heat, his gray eyes snapping.

"I don't _know_ how it got there! If I did then I would most certainly tell you _and _Dumbledore!" Renna hissed. "Explain to me how Harry could have gotten over the age line, hmm? And you should have seen his face when his name was called as fourth champion! He had no idea it was coming!"

"Either that or he's a really good actor," Malfoy said spitefully. "You know what your problem is, Renna? You trust too much. You don't believe that Potter could have gotten over that age line, therefore he didn't put his name in."

"And you know what your problem is, _Malfoy?" _Renna shot back, her face flushed with anger. "You don't trust enough. If you loosened up a little bit and learned to trust people besides yourself, you might even start having a few _friends!" _

She glared at him for a moment longer, then walked off down the corridor, her pace quickening until she was running. She felt angry tears prick her eyes and stream down her cheeks. Dodging students, she ran out the doors onto the grounds, thanking her lucky stars that it was break and she didn't have another class for fifteen minutes.

She reached her favorite beech tree on the grounds and rested her forehead against it, taking deep, calming breaths. She wiped her cheeks quickly, hoping that no one had heard her fight with Malfoy. Reaching up, Renna grabbed a low branch and swung herself up into the tree. She climbed until she was nearly hidden by the branches, then sat and put her arms around the tree trunk, resting her cheek against the rough bark. Closing her eyes and breathing in the smell of beech, Renna slowly let go of the things that had made her angry and sank into herself, releasing all emotions and simply being.

When she felt calm again, she opened her eyes and looked down. She had left her bag at the foot of the tree. Renna thought of climbing down, but decided that it was too much trouble. So she just sat there for a while, not thinking of anything in particular, and definitely not thinking about a certain blond boy.

As she was sitting there, a boy came and sat down at the base of the tree. When he saw her bag he hesitated and looked around for the owner, and when he saw no one he cautiously opened the bag, presumably to look for identification. Renna watched, then decided to cut in before he could entirely go through her bag. "You know," she said softly, "It isn't polite to go through other people's things."

The boy jumped and looked up. Renna laughed at the stricken expression on his face and climbed down until she could drop gently onto the ground. "I'm sorry," he said. "I mean, I didn't see an owner so I was just looking for a name. I wasn't going to look at your stuff or anything."

Renna laughed again and said, "It's okay. Now you know it's mine." She sat down next to him and continued, "I don't keep any of my valuable stuff in here. It's an old habit, but when people routinely steal people's things and play tricks on them you kinda learn to keep stuff that you don't care about in your bag."

"You're the new girl, aren't you?" The boy said. "Sorry. That was a stupid question."

"I don't believe in stupid questions," Renna said. "Yes, I'm the new girl. My name is Rennati Forester."

"I'm Neville Longbottom," the boy said, sticking out his hand. Renna shook it. "Actually, my question _was_ kinda pointless, because you're in most of my classes and you're in my year _and _my house. So I should know who you are."

The bell signaling the end of break rang, and they stood up and headed back to the castle together. "What do we have next?" Renna asked Neville, who pulled out his schedule.

"Umm...next I have Divination."

"So that means I have Arithmancy," Renna said. They parted in the entrance hall, Neville heading to the North Tower and Renna heading to the fifth floor.

Unfortunately, now that she was alone she had time to brood on the fight she had just had. She had blurted out that bit about Malfoy's friends without thinking about it first, or how it would sound to him. The look on his face right before she had left - shocked and vulnerable. It was the only time that she had seen him when he didn't have complete control over his face and emotions. And the unfortunate thing was that it was true. Malfoy _didn't_ have any real friends. Now she felt sick, sick and guilty. She shouldn't have thrown it in his face like that.

But what could she do about it now?

Apologize? How?

Renna entered the Arithmancy classroom and slung her bag more forcefully than normal onto the ground next to her chair, and sat down. Hermione looked up from her book and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Renna said, a little too forcefully.

Hermione sighed. "Renna, you're brilliant at schoolwork, and great at figuring out emotional stuff, but your face is as easy to read as a book sometimes."

"I had a fight, that's all," Renna said, her tone saying _subject closed. _

Hermione didn't let her get away that easily. "Who with?" she put her book down and looked at her fully.

Renna glared. "Dra- Malfoy."

"Well, what's so odd about that?" Hermione said. "We have fights all the time."

_Yeah, but you don't find him the hottest piece of boy-flesh in the school, do you? _Renna thought acidly. "Hermione, have you ever had a decent conversation with him?" she said instead.

"Uh, no," Hermione said, a little startled. "I mean, he's never really been my idea of someone who could give good conversation, you know? He usually just calls me a- well, you-know-what, and then sneers and walks off, unless he and Harry or Ron get into a fight."

"Well, I have," Renna said. Ignoring Hermione's shocked look, she went on, "And if he doesn't have a prejudice against you, he's really nice. When was the last time he called you a mudblood?"

"Um," Hermione said, thinking, "Well, he hasn't talked to any of us for like, a month, I think."

"Why do you think that is?" Renna pressed.

"I don't know!" Hermione said, frustrated.

"It's because I talked to him," Renna said. "About why he hates Harry. I went for a walk and found him, and we talked. I asked him to tell me why and he couldn't come up with one good reason. His most potent one was that he had brought down Voldemort -don't flinch, god!- but I asked him if he had knowingly brought him down, or had he done nothing and a killing curse had backfired for reasons known to no one when he was one year old? I asked him to think about it, and about you and Ron as well, and he's been very quiet up until now.

"Now what about you? Why do you hate him, or do you not even hate him? I understand that he always calls you a mudblood. But that's it, right? Besides his attitude? To me, that doesn't seem like enough to hate somebody with."

"Well," Hermione said, her eyes narrowing in concentration, "Now that you mention it, I never hated him. Just ignored him, mostly. Why? Are you on a Don't Hate Malfoy campaign?"

"Not exactly," Renna said. "Did you ever think that the whole thing was really pointless? That there's absolutely no point in it?"

"Yeah, sometimes," Hermione said.

"So if he began being nicer, would you be nicer also?" Renna pressed.

"Yeah, I guess so, but you're never going to convince Ron and Harry that his intentions are anything but evil."

"Oh, I have my ways," Renna said, grinning, just as the teacher came in, effectively preventing Hermione from asking her what she meant. Renna grinned at the frustrated expressions Mione kept throwing her. At the end of the class Renna quickly packed up her things and left, smiling wickedly.

"Renna, I know exactly what you're doing, and it's not going to work!" Hermione said.

Surprised, Renna turned to face her. "What am I doing?"

"Avoiding me to make me wonder and to keep from telling me what you're going to do. And it won't work. I want to help."

"What?" Renna said, completely flummoxed.

"I want to help you end the war between Harry, Ron and Malfoy," Hermione said again. "It's just stupid, and it needs to end."

Renna stared at her in near shock. Nobody had ever wanted to help her in her end-hate campaigns. Gabrielle was totally uninterested, and nobody else really knew. "Well, that's great," she said, her mind already working on all of the things that two people could do, instead of one.

"So, what do you have planned?" Hermione said, falling into step as they descended to the dungeons and their Potions lesson.

"Well, now that Ron thinks that Harry put his name in the Goblet, I don't really think that we can do much about that. I mean, I can only do so much for people, but they have to take the actual steps."

"So you've done this before?" Hermione jumped at the piece of information.

"I used to do it all the time at Beauxbatons," Renna said. "I just can't stand the tension in the air when people are glaring death at each other. A few good friendships have come out of them, too."

"Okay, but what about the Malfoy relationship?" Hermione asked.

Renna thought hard. "Call me madcap, but I think, if we can get them speaking civilly this year, next year or the year after they'll become really good friends." She ignored Hermione's disbelieving snort and continued, "No, really, think about it. Harry and Draco have similar personalities; both are ambitious, have a need to prove themselves, and like causing trouble. Plus they're just compatible, that's all. I think that they're only really enemies because Draco's never been taught how to think differently."

"_Draco?" _Hermione said, smirking. "You two are on first name terms, are you?"

Renna blushed. "Well, yeah, I mean, it's kind of stupid calling someone who you're trying to get to like their mortal enemy by his last name, you know? And it's just nicer." She stopped talking and scowled. "Mione, have you noticed that Draco - Malfoy has no real friends?"

"Yeah he does," Hermione said, surprised. "He's got Crabbe and Goyle, and then there's Pansy-"

Renna interrupted. "But they're not friends, not really. They're more like cronies, or underlings. It's as if Malfoy's afraid to let anyone get close enough to discover the real him."

"I cannot believe that we're dissecting the personal life of Draco Malfoy," Hermione muttered. Renna, once again, ignored this.

"Have you ever seen Malfoy interact with anyone the way we do, for example? To be friends, you have to trust the other person. I think Malfoy's afraid of trusting anyone, because they might let him down and then he would be vulnerable and open to the world."

"You really put a lot of thought into this sort of thing, don't you?" Hermione asked, amazed. Renna smiled.

"It's so interesting, looking at people and trying to figure them out. I think psychology's fascinating. If you learn emotions really well, you can help people an amazing amount. I think I want to work at St. Mungo's as a psychologist nurse, helping people in shock or who have serious trauma." She scowled. "A really difficult thing is finding your own faults and acknowledging them. One of mine is that I hold grudges for a long time, and Malfoy insulted Harry severely this afternoon. It's going to be hard to get them talking while I have my own prejudice."

"It'll work out," Hermione said as they entered the dungeon and sat down together. "Now what's our next move?"

"Well, I don't think we can do much until after the First Task," Renna whispered. "Harry's under too much stress and Draco's not in a mood to cooperate. I think we just have to help Harry prepare and go from-"

"Fascinating though your social lives undoubtedly are, you two," a voice easily recognizable as Snape's said behind them, "I believe that this is a Potions class, and not free time. Now you both have a potion to make, and I suggest you start working before I find it necessary to take points from Gryffindor!"

Hermione's eyes widened and she hurriedly got out her things and began setting them up. "I think he must like you, Renna," she whispered as they both began reading the instructions. "Last year, he would have immediately split us up and taken twenty points for talking."

Renna frowned and stopped dicing roots. "I like Potions," she said. "It's one of my favorite subjects. Don't you enjoy it?"

Hermione shrugged. "It's okay." Catching a look from Snape, the two girls quickly started brewing their potions.

* * *

**Hellooooooooooo? _(hello? hello? hello?)_ man, someone needs to start sending me reviews fast.**


	7. A Very Angry Nesting Dragon

* * *

The First Task was approaching. Harry was in a state of quiet panic. One morning he got up early to mail a letter to Sirius, hoping that no one would be in the Owlery this early.

His luck was out. As he approached the door, he heard voices inside and swore silently. Recognizing the voice, however, he stopped in the doorway and listened, neither girl noticing him.

"He's terrified," Renna said, clasping her knees to her chest and rocking slightly. "He has no idea what's going on, and the attitudes of the students aren't helping."

"Do you think he put his name in the Goblet of Fire?" asked Cho Chang quietly.

"No, I don't," Renna said firmly. "You should have seen his face when Dumbledore read his name. He had no idea it was coming. He's never, _ever_ wanted glory. He's just a confused kid. The entire wizarding world worships him for something he can't remember, he's had traumatic experiences every single year at the school, and now someone hoodwinked a powerful magical object to get him into a tournament where people have died more than once. Someone has him on a death list."

"Sounds like you know a lot about him," Cho teased. "Do you like him?"

"No! He's my best friend. He was the first person I met from this school, and I understand him really well. We're friends, that's all. I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize our friendship."

"Thanks, Renna," Harry said, and both the girls jumped to their feet, startled and embarrassed.

"Harry!" Renna said. "What- how much did you hear?"

"A lot," Harry said, shrugging. There didn't seem to be any point in lying. He walked into the room and over to them. "I'd like to hear Cho's opinion, though. Do you think I put my name in the Goblet?"

Cho lowered her eyes and shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, how else could it have gotten there? But why would you volunteer for something where you could die? Renna's points make a lot of sense. So I don't know."

"Thanks," was all Harry said, though inside he was singing. Cho didn't think he was an arrogant prat!

"Well, I guess I'd better get going," Cho said, smiling at both of them. "See you later." She left.

Harry, reminded of why he came in here, looked around for an owl, and Hedwig flew down to have the letter attached to her leg. "Who are you writing to?" Renna asked, trying to see the address.

"My godfather," Harry said, covering the name so she couldn't see it.

"I didn't know you had a godfather," Renna said. "I thought you didn't have any relatives."

"He's my only one," Harry said shortly. "I didn't even know about him until the end of last year."

"Aw, that must suck," Renna said sympathetically. "But hey, at least you have a family member. I'm adopted and have no idea who my real parents are. My adopted parents say that they _lived_ in England, so I don't know if that means they moved or are dead."

Harry smiled mirthlessly. "Welcome to the club. But I know what happened to my parents, at least. But don't you like it with your family?"

"Yeah, they're great," Renna said, staring out the window. "They _are_ my real parents. They've raised me since I was a baby, and I'm not even sure if _they_ know who my parents are. They've never mentioned it to me, no matter how much I bugged them. And Mark, even though he's older than me, plays Quidditch and messes around with me. He graduated last year, though." She grinned at him. "I'm sure you're enjoying hearing me pour out my life story to you."

Harry shrugged. "It actually doesn't matter; I get to know more about you."

Renna grinned again, and then sobered. "Are you okay with this whole fourth champion thing? Because if you aren't, you can probably get Dumbledore to get you out of it."

Harry shrugged again, stroking Hedwig before she flew out the window to deliver his letter. "Somebody obviously wants me to do this really badly. I figure, why not find out what they want? Besides, Crouch says that I can't back out no matter what."

"But you're scared," Renna said softly, and Harry looked out the window to avoid her gaze. "I can tell, Harry. You're scared witless that you're going to die, you're going to screw up, you're never going to get Ron's friendship back. You're scared all the time."

"How do you know that?" Harry said, jerking his head around and staring at her with wide eyes.

Renna frowned, startled. "I'm not sure," she said, surprised. "I dunno, I kind of feel that someone's terrified in my head, and I have these weird...never mind. It just makes sense that you'd be terrified, doesn't it?"

"But how do you know all that stuff about Ron?" Harry said, intrigued.

Renna shook her head, at a loss. "I have no idea."

* * *

It was time for the First Task. Renna and Hermione had grilled him unmercifully in the Summoning Charm, and now he just hoped he wouldn't entirely lose it when he was confronted with his dragon. _God. I will, I just know it. _

"Don't think that you'll screw up," Renna said sharply. "If you do, then you will. It's that simple."

"Yet again, you seem to know what I was thinking," Harry said as they sat down at the Gryffindor table for lunch.

Renna, ignoring this, said, "Try to eat something." She glared at him until he took a bite of shepherd's pie, but his stomach didn't seem to be cooperating with his efforts. Still, he ate a little more, just to make his friends happy.

And then McGonagall was hurrying over to him in the Great Hall. Lots of people were watching. "Potter, the champions have to come down onto the grounds now... You have to get ready for your first task."

"Okay," said Harry, standing up, his fork falling onto his plate with a clatter.

"Good luck, Harry," Hermione whispered. "You'll be fine!"

"Yeah," Harry said.

He didn't feel much like paying attention as his Head of House led him out onto the grounds. He knew what was going to happen; he was going to do the best he could, and that was all.

* * *

The Hungarian Horntail. That so figured. Of course he got the most vicious one; he hadn't thought it would be easy, had he?

So, now he was facing his dragon. With just a little stick of wood to help him. _Okay, Harry. Concentrate. "Accio Firebolt!" _

And a few seconds later he heard it zooming toward him. He turned and there it was. It screeched to a halt and he clambered on, kicking off from the ground.

It felt wonderful to be in the air again. He rose up, and up, and up, the wind whipping his face. This was where he belonged. He looked down and the people in the stands were just flesh-colored pricks, the Horntail was the size of a dog, and it was just another Quidditch game; just another opposing team.

"Okay," he said quietly. "Diversionary tactics...let's go..." he dived; the Horntail's head followed him, and he pulled out of the dive as she loosed a jet of fire where he had been. Dodging a bludger; that was all.

He climbed again, and then dived as she loosed another stream of fire at him.

"_Harry, DUCK!" _

He followed the odd advice, ducking and swerving sideways slightly. A second later he felt a burning sensation as the Horntail's tail ripped through the shoulder of his robes and scored a gash down his arm. It was bleeding, but adrenaline prevented Harry from feeling much. He ignored it; as long as he didn't pass out from blood loss, he would leave it as it was. He really needed that egg.

He climbed again. _Get her off the eggs. _

Only a little more teasing and taunting, and she reared, revealing that coveted egg. He dived...

It felt as if he had just won a Quidditch game, and sounded like it too. He landed; the stands were in an uproar. Apparently he had gotten his egg quickest. Professor McGonagall was beaming as she ran toward him, along with Professor Moody and Hagrid. "That was excellent, Potter!" She cried.

"Thanks, professor," Harry said. He was feeling the _oddest_ things in his head; feelings of happiness and relief and, while he definitely felt that way, it did not feel like his own emotions. It was rather distracting.

He began to head toward the first-aid tent when three people behind him called out, _"Harry!"_

He turned; Renna, Hermione, and Ron were hurrying toward him across the grass, and as she saw him turn Renna broke into a full-out run. She slammed into him, laughing and crying at the same time. Harry hugged her back, wishing that whatever was happening in his head would stop. The feelings were stronger now, and he could hear voices…well, a voice. _"Oh my god, I was so worried but he's fine and I'm hugging him and he only got a cut. Oh, I should get off of him I'm probably making it hurt more but he'd better not leave me again I was so scared!"_

Harry was even more confused now. The only person hugging him was Renna, and she _was_ making his arm hurt more, not to mention that it wasn't very comfortable sitting on the slightly damp ground. She'd knocked him over, and now she was on top of him. Was he hearing Renna's _mind?_ Was that even possible? Maybe she could hear _him._ He concentrated.

"_Renna? Is it just me or can I hear your mind? My arm really does hurt…"_ This last thought was carried with an overtone of pain, and he hadn't meant her to hear it. If she could even hear him…

"_Oh you silly boy! Of course I can hear you and I'm so sorry about your arm! I screamed at you to duck, did you hear me? You followed my advice."_

"_I heard you inside my head. What is this? I get the feeling that it isn't exactly normal."_

"_Of course it's not normal. I think we should go to professor Dumbledore and tell him what's going on."_

Harry smiled weakly as she finally got off him. _"Sounds like a good idea. Either we're getting better or something else is happening…I can't hear nearly as many of her underlying thoughts any more."_

She grinned at him. "But I heard that. I guess you're just not as good as I am."

Hermione, who had caught up with them, looked at them uncomprehendingly. "What are you talking about?"

Renna looked at her as if just remembering her and Ron. "Oh! We have to go see professor Dumbledore. You guys should probably come too. You'll want to know about this." She grabbed Hermione's arm and dragged her off toward the castle, leaving the two boys to figure out their apologies on their own.

"Why'd you do that?" Hermione hissed. "They'll probably tear each other apart!"

Renna grinned. "Oh no they won't. Unless I'm very much mistaken, Ron came with you to apologize to Harry. Now they can muddle through it on their own." Seeing Hermione's disbelieving look, Renna said, "They have to do it themselves, or they'll never truly trust each other again. Trust me, Hermione. Now, I need your opinion on something. Harry and I have to go and see the Headmaster because apparently we now have this new power to speak in each other's heads. Kind of like telepathy, but I'm not sure if it is or not."

Hermione's eyes lit up, and Renna silently patted herself on the back for giving her best friend the perfect thing to research. "Telepathy? That sounds a little like Legilimency, but that's simply breaking into someone else's mind. Hmm…when did you first hear Harry? It might go away in time, could be just a stress symptom…"

Sighing, Renna smiled and half-tuned Hermione out as they entered the castle, heading for the elusive Headmaster's office.

* * *

"You've _got_ to be kidding me."

"Somehow I don't think professor Dumbledore was lying, Renna," Harry said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Renna gave him a look. "Don't tell me you're not surprised by this! We just found out that we're related! Not only related, but we're _twins! _And apparently, through some quirk of nature, we can speak inside each other's minds! You just went from having no family to having a twin sister in five minutes flat, and you're not even acting _surprised!"_

Harry shrugged slightly. "I just fought my way past a Hungarian Horntail. My adrenaline reserves are exhausted. When I'm rested and thought about it, then yes, I will be just as -if not more- freaked out as you are." He grimaced slightly as the shrug caused his sleeve to stretch, pulling the part that was attached to his cut. Looking down, Harry noticed for the first time that his sleeve had gotten stuck to his wound and the blood had dried over it, attaching it firmly to the lacerated area. He looked at it for a moment, then said belatedly, "Ouch."

"You should really go see Madame Pomfrey, Harry," Hermione advised. "That needs to be taken care of."

"And you!" Renna was clearly not done with her rant. "Your best friend now has a sister! You're not _surprised,_ or _happy,_ or _anything_ besides practical! Am I the only one who realizes what this _means?!"_

Hermione, not looking up from her inspection of Harry's arm, said quietly, "It means that another member is going to be added to the Potter family tree."

"Ack!" Renna said, throwing her hands up in the air. Then she stopped, interested. "There's a Potter family tree?"

Hermione shrugged. "Probably. But it's most likely shut up in Potter Manor, and who knows where that is."

"Potter Manor?" Harry asked.

"Tell you more about it later, Harry, but you really need to get to the hospital wing now. It's started bleeding again."

"Oh my god!" Renna said, smacking her forehead. "I don't know why I didn't think of this before!" She whipped out her wand, muttered, _"Finite sangre,"_ and ran her wand down the cut. Slowly, the bleeding stopped and the flesh knit together, leaving the skin slightly raised in a scar. Carefully, Harry flexed his arm, and then grinned. It felt completely normal.

Renna sighed, contemplating her work with a frown. "If you want the scar to go away, I would suggest going to see Madame Pomfrey, but it's all fixed now. If I knew the spell better, I could get rid of it, but I've never practiced it on anyone before."

"Where'd you learn that spell, Renna?" Hermione asked, sounding a bit miffed. "I've never heard it before, but doesn't it mean _stop blood_?"

Renna nodded, a slightly sheepish look on her face. "You know how I want to become a Healer, right? Well, my collection of books on Healing is _huge._ I've read most of them and know most of the spells and potions, but I've rarely been able to practice them on anything."

"_Really?"_ Hermione breathed, eyes wide. "Can I read them?"

Ron laughed. "You've given her two things to research in the space of an hour, Renna. You're going to be answering a lot of questions in the near future."

* * *

Renna paused before the portrait hole. "Anyone care to bet on the noise level when we open the door?"

Her three friends shook their heads. Renna grinned and said the password, and the Fat Lady swung open to release a torrent of noise, everyone cheering as Harry entered, his friends following close behind. Even though none of them felt like partying, they were unable to get away for a long time.

Their chance came when Harry opened the egg. As the wild screeching filled the air, everyone flinched and covered their ears. "Shut it!" Bellowed Lee Jordan, hands clamped tightly over his throbbing ears.

Blessed silence fell, and everyone slowly lowered their hands. "But that's mermaid song!" Renna blurted out into the silence, eyes wide.

Everyone in the common room turned to look at her. She blushed. "It's what?" Lee said, summing up everyone's feelings into that one question.

"Um," Renna said, "It's mermaid song. I recognized it because mermaids swim in the English Channel all the time, and sometimes they would sing, and it sounded just like that."

She looked increasingly uncomfortable as the entire Gryffindor House continued to stare at her. "Sorry," she said sheepishly. "Never mind."

As the party resumed, the four friends escaped and quickly headed up into their dorms. Not a single one stayed awake for longer than it took them to get into bed.

* * *

**YAY! I liked this chapter so much. I kind of glossed over the part with the Hungarian Horntail, because obviously if you've read the book OR seen the movie you know what happens... Although in this story I'm following the book, not the movie. Um. Yeah. They're so much better.**

**Sorry. I really like to read, and faithfully follow the credo that the book is **_**always**_** better than the movie. Although I might make an exception with the Lord of the Rings, **_**only**_** because the movies are a lot easier to understand.**

**You know the drill, everyone! Reviews make writers happy!**


	8. One Enlightening Yule

"Why on earth would they hold a ball _now?_"

"It's a traditional part of any Triwizard Tournament, Harry," Renna said at the same time as Hermione, both using the same miffed tone.

Harry stared at them and then said, "Please don't ever do that again. That's just scary."

"So, who are you thinking of taking?" Renna asked, tucking a lemon drop into her cheek and sucking on it.

Harry kept silent and looked back at his homework. Renna smirked. _"I think I know who it iiis,"_ she sang in his head. _"It's Cho Chang, isn't it?"_

"_Shut up, Renna,"_ Harry muttered and snapped his walls shut. They weren't incredibly strong -neither of them were very proficient at shielding- but Renna let him have his privacy. She knew she was right, and also knew that Harry would have to really work up his courage to ask her. Well, she wished him luck. Personally she thought he could do a lot better, but…

She shook her head and focused back on her Charms essay.

* * *

"Harry, Ron, we're going to head back up to Gryffindor Tower to get ready," Renna called, taking Hermione's arm and leading her back to the castle.

"What, you need three hours?" Ron said incredulously. "Who're you going with?" They heard shouted after them, but Hermione just waved as they disappeared into the Entrance Hall.

"Persistent, isn't he?" Renna said as they began to climb the marble staircase. "I don't want to see his reaction when you walk in with Krum."

Hermione shrugged. "He'll survive."

The two girls entered their dormitory, which was completely deserted. They stripped off their heavy cloaks and sweaters, and Renna sat Hermione in front of the mirror and began work on her hair. "Renna," Hermione said as Renna combed Sleakeazy's Hair Solution through her thick hair, "I forget. Who are you going with?"

"Hmm?" Renna said. "Oh, I'm not going with anyone."

"What?!" Hermione said, astonished. She tried to turn and look at her, but Renna smacked the top of her head and held it straight. "Don't tell me you didn't get any offers!"

"Oh, I got offers all right, but I didn't want a partner," Renna said. "I much prefer going on my own. That way I can dance with any boy I like."

Hermione thought about this for a minute. "Well, I suppose that makes sense," she said.

"Exactly," Renna said. "Now we leave this in for an hour before styling it the way we want it. That gives me enough time to take a shower and get dressed."

"I wish I had your hair, Renna," Hermione said wistfully as she watched her friend pull out her dress robes.

"Hermione, your hair is wonderful," Renna said firmly, grabbing her things and heading into the bathroom.

Forty-five minutes later she came back out, dressed in her beautiful dress robes and drying her hair with her wand. Her robes were made out of pure white silk that slid across her skin like water, and Hermione sighed in envy. "It's not fair. I'm not going to look _nearly_ as pretty as you."

Renna smiled, throwing her rippling black hair over her shoulder. "Oh yes you are. And we are going to finish before Pavarti and Lavender come in, and then we are going to go hide so no one sees us before the ball. Now," she said worriedly, sitting in front of her own mirror and brushing out her long hair, "How am I going to do my hair?"

Now this Hermione could help with, and she said positively, "In a bun. Here." She tapped Renna's hair with her wand, muttered a short spell, and the slightly curly strands twisted themselves into an elegant knot, leaving several strands to hang gracefully around her face. "Now put this into the top-" Hermione picked up a curved comb studded with rhinestones and placed it into the top of the bun, "and you have a beautiful ensemble. Your hair is so long that it looks very elegant gathered up like that."

Renna smiled at her reflection. "Thanks, Hermione." She checked the clock. "And it's just about your turn. Sit down." She rose and brushed out Hermione's hair, which was now sleek and shining and manageably curly. Brushed out like this, Hermione's hair easily reached the middle of her back, fully as long as Renna's. "Now before we do it up get into your robes." Hermione rose and complied, and Renna slipped on her dance shoes. Flexible and comfortable, she had made Hermione buy a pair as well, swearing that her feet wouldn't get tired in them.

Hermione came back and sat down, now dressed in her periwinkle blue robes, and Renna said, "Hermione, how can you not call yourself beautiful?" She shook her head and tapped her friend's hair, muttering the same spell Hermione had used on her own hair.

Instantly Hermione's hair rose up and poofed out, the strands becoming bushy and unmanageable again - but even worse than before. The two girls stared into the mirror disbelievingly as the work of the last hour went down the drain in seconds.

Finally Renna spoke. "Well, at least we have plenty of time." Hermione bit her lip to prevent tears and nodded. Renna reapplied the hair solution and they waited, both glancing at the clock and then at the door repeatedly.

"All right," Renna said, rising after an hour had passed, "Let's try this again, _without_ magic this time." She brushed out Hermione's hair, which was manageable once again (though much more curly than the last time), and then proceeded to put it up in a bun the conventional way. "There," Renna finally said, stepping back and admiring her work, "I defy any one to call you plain now."

Hermione stood up, walked over to the full-length mirror on the bathroom door and admired her image. She did indeed look very pretty. Renna joined her and slipped an arm around her waist, smiling proudly. Hermione turned and hugged her tightly. "Thank you so much, Renna," she said, "For doing my hair _twice._"

"No problem. Now let's get going." They quickly did their makeup, inserted earrings into ears and slipped necklaces around necks, then crept downstairs and into the common room, actually passing Lavender and Pavarti on their way to the dorm. The girls smiled at each other, Pavarti and Lavender clearly not recognizing Hermione but recognizing and envying Renna.

They walked to the Entrance Hall, just about the only people there that early, and settled onto a tucked-away bench to await the opening of the Ball. They talked quietly, watching as people began to congregate, and finally stood up to mingle among them.

The doors opened, and Hermione grabbed Renna's arm. The Durmstrang contingent entered, Krum in the lead, and Renna felt Hermione take a deep breath beside her before the two of them began walking forward. When they reached Krum Hermione smiled nervously and bobbed a tiny curtsy. Feeling slightly like a father handing off a daughter to get married, Renna watched as Krum held out his arm and Hermione took it, smiling at Renna before Renna melted back into the crowd.

Now alone, Renna walked through the crowd, searching for people she knew. She saw Seamus and Lavender and smiled at them, then looked up to see Ron, Harry, and Pavarti descend the marble staircase. Her face lit up in a genuine grin and she hurried through the crowd, reaching them just as they got to the bottom.

"_Bonsoir, messieurs et mademoiselle,"_ she said, sweeping a curtsy and smiling broadly.

"Renna? You - wow, you look amazing!" Harry said, stopping and staring.

"Thanks," Renna said, rising. "So do you." And because Pavarti was beginning to look sulky, Renna said, "And you look - wow, Pavarti, you look really nice." She projected as much sincere admiration into her voice and her eyes as she could, and was rewarded when Pavarti preened slightly, sulkiness completely gone.

"I'll see you inside," Renna said to her brother, and gave him a quick hug. She bestowed one on Ron as well before drifting off into the crowd again, smiling. This evening was going to be one of the best in her memory, she could tell.

"You're my polar opposite," murmured a voice in her ear, and she turned to find herself face-to-face with Draco Malfoy. He smiled down at her.

Renna looked him up and down critically and saw that he was correct. Draco's robes were black where hers were white, and her hair was black where his was white-blond. "I sure am. Don't opposites attract?"

"Something like that. I'll see you inside." He drifted off. The doors to the Great Hall opened, and Renna moved with the crowd through them. She grinned and winked at Harry and Pavarti, and smiled conspiratorially at Hermione.

The feast passed in a blur, Renna hardly paying attention to what she ate. Finally the music began, and her head shot up as the champions rose and took the floor. Her mouth twitched. _"Harry, you're not going to the executioner's block, so stop looking like it,"_ she said silently.

"_I hate dancing!"_ Was her only response. She sighed, shaking her head as she watched them ruefully.

"_Mademoiselle?"_ Someone said, and she turned. A boy from Beaubatons was standing next to her. _"Est-ce que je peux avoir cette danse?"_

"_Naturellement, monsieur,"_ Renna said, taking his hand and letting him lead her onto the dance floor. He knew how to dance! She thought delightedly. A boy who knew how to dance! This was marvelous.

Once the song ended, Renna curtsied to her partner and looked around. Sure enough, there was her brother, sitting with Ron and their partners. _Honestly. Boys don't know how to have fun anymore._ She hurried over as a new song started.

"Do you mind, Pavarti?" Renna asked, grabbing Harry's hand. "Come on, Harry! Dance with me!" And ignoring his half-heard protests, she dragged her twin out onto the dance floor. "Now," she said once they had reached the middle and Harry couldn't run away, "I am going to teach you how to move. Place your hand on my waist."

"Renna-" Harry started, but she cut him off.

"Don't even start. Put your hand on my waist." She began slowly moving them to the music, and Harry automatically tensed up. "Look at me. Don't look anywhere else. How are you, Harry? It's been a while since we've been able to talk. Now, talk to me. I really don't know anything about your childhood. Do we have any relatives?"

"Only mum's sister, Petunia," Harry replied. "I live with them over the summer holidays. She's married to a man named Vernon, and we have a cousin, Dudley. He's the fattest kid you'll probably ever meet in your life."

"What are they like?"

"Horrible. They hate me. They hate everything to do with magic. It's pretty depressing sometimes, and I hate going back there over the summer. But I don't usually stay there for the entire summer, which is good. I don't think the Dursleys would appreciate it if I did."

"They don't sound like very nice people. You're doing great, Harry." Harry, who had forgotten that they were dancing and had been moving very naturally to the music, tensed up again. "No, that's bad. Relax. And keep talking."

Speaking calmly and offhandedly, Renna twirled her brother through a song and was rewarded by Harry's relaxed, easy smile and graceful body. When he wasn't thinking about who could be watching or what he was doing, Harry was a very good dancer. You just had to loosen him up. When the song ended and everyone clapped, Harry and Renna clapped enthusiastically as well, feeling a little disappointed that the dance was over. Since the Weird Sisters were taking a break, Renna walked back over to Ron and Padma. Pavarti had disappeared somewhere, and Renna took her seat, where they were soon joined by Hermione.

"It's hot, isn't it?" She said, fanning herself. "Viktor's just gone to get some drinks."

"_Viktor?_" Ron said disgustedly. "Hasn't he asked you to call him Vicky yet?"

Both girls stared at him. "Ron, what-?" Hermione said, confused.

"He's from Durmstrang!" Ron spat. "He's competing against Harry! You…you're…_fraternizing with the enemy,_ that's what you're doing!"

Shocked, Renna watched Ron dig himself deeper and deeper into a hole as the argument escalated, unable to believe Ron could be so close-minded. When Hermione had stomped off, she said quietly, "I can't believe you, Ron." Then she rose and walked off as well, not wanting to stay near someone who could accuse their friend of such cruel things.

Stopping, she leaned her hip against a table and watched the crowds, emerald eyes flicking from person to person without settling on anything. She had already calmed down, her anger at Ron dissipating quickly, and she scanned the hall for anyone who looked like they wished they were dancing but weren't. Seeing no one, she sat back and relaxed, watching the couples whirl around in colorful pairs.

The evening passed in a blur of music and dancing, and Renna's face hurt from smiling so much. She sat out for a few songs at the end of the evening, pleading exhaustion, and watched, breathing deeply.

A hand entered her vision, holding a bottle of butterbeer, and she grabbed it and took a deep swig. Then she coughed, her eyes stinging, as something other than butterbeer burned its way down her throat along with the familiar taste. "Jesus," she said, looking up. "Are you trying to kill me?"

Draco smiled a slow smile. "No, just trying to get you drunk."

Renna shrugged. "Well, can't blame you for trying." She took another swig, this time prepared for the burn as the liquid traveled down her throat. "What is it? Firewhiskey?"

"Nothing so obvious." Draco sat down next to her. "It's called a Russian Sunrise. Butterbeer mixed with vodka, a dash of rum, and strawberry syrup. Some people add orange and sometimes even lemon syrup, which is how it received the name 'Russian Sunrise.'"

Renna shook her head, taking another drink. "And don't tell me how a fourteen-year-old boy knows this." Draco grinned slyly, and Renna shook her head. "Well, thanks," she said, raising the bottle in an ironic salute. "One isn't enough to get me drunk, but I appreciate it. And I didn't even have to ask."

They were silent for a time, watching the ebb and flow of the people around them. Then the lead singer of the Weird Sisters said, "This is the last song of the evening, so all you dancers who want to give this evening a good send-off grab a partner and get on out onto the floor." She stepped back, and the band prepared themselves.

Renna laughed, putting the empty bottle on the table behind her. "C'mon, Draco! Let's dance!" She pulled him up and onto the floor, glad to hear no protests. "You haven't danced with me yet," she said, turning to face him and pouting, "so I think I get a turn, don't you?" Her breath grew a little short when he only nodded, staring at her. His eyes were half-lidded, and he had the faintest trace of a hungry look on his face. "Don't look at me like that," she said, cursing when her voice came out breathier than she wanted.

"Look at you like what?" Draco murmured.

"Like…like you want me. Don't. Don't want me. Let's just be friends for now, you know? Let's not complicate it now. Please." She held out her arms. "Let's just dance."

He stepped forward and she nearly gasped as his _presence _was suddenly very, very close and very, very warm and very, _very_ male. Her decision just a few moments ago wavered, and she locked it down. No, they would be friends first, and then, perhaps, they might go farther. But not when they'd known each other for less than a year.

"I'll concede your last request," he murmured in her ear, "But I reserve judgment on the other one." His voice sent shivers down her spine. Placing his hand on her waist and holding her hand in his, they danced, unaware that the other couples were glancing at them and whispering about how they looked like Dark and Light, or how well they danced, or how smoothly they moved together. A small space opened up around them, so that they were dancing in their own little bubble, but none of this registered as anything other than a slight oddity.

Their perfect world was shattered when a loud voice said, "Renna!" In an outraged tone. The two dancers stopped dancing and looked over to where the voice was coming from to see Harry and Ron, both with looks of disgust and disbelief on their faces.

Renna sighed with annoyance, really hating her brother at that moment. "What, Harry?" She snapped.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Harry said. "You were dancing with Malfoy!"

Renna's eyes snapped with anger. Gabrielle, who was standing at the front of the crowd a little ways away, yanked her sister's head down and began whispering frantically into her ear, eyes on her best friend all the time. "Well, Harry," Renna said cuttingly, "If you already knew what I was doing, then why did you bother to ask?"

Harry, not having a response for this, turned his attention to Draco. "Keep away from her, Malfoy!" He grated, eyes narrowed.

Draco raised an eyebrow. "I think Renna's old enough to pick who she dances with," he drawled. "Don't you? Besides, Potter, I don't see any sign saying that you own her. You didn't even take her to the Ball tonight."

With a curse Harry punched out, only to have his arm slapped away. Renna stood in between him and Draco, eyes now positively deadly with anger. Gabrielle cringed. "Touch him," she growled, "And you will be very sorry. Mess with my life ever again, Harry, and you will be missing some very important parts of your anatomy. For fuck's sake!" She said, her voice rising, "Just because you are my fucking twin doesn't mean that I need protection! The brotherly instinct is really unnecessary! There is absolutely nothing wrong with me dancing with whoever I want! There is even less wrong with me dancing with Draco! Why shouldn't I dance with my friends?"

"Friend?" Harry gaped.

"Yes, Harry, friend!" Renna snapped. "Draco is my _friend_! He is just as much my friend as you and Ron and Hermione! And by the way, Hermione knows and approves of my friendship! So if you _don't_ mind, I would appreciate it if you kept your over-protective, brotherly nose _out of my fucking business_!"

Draco placed a hand on her shoulder. "Easy up on the claws, tiger," he murmured. "Your -ah- _brother_ seems to be shocked quite thoroughly."

"Renna," Gabrielle said, sidling up and taking Renna's arm, "_Allons._" _Let's go._

Renna sighed, glaring one last time at her brother. "_Oui, allons._" The two girls walked through the crowd and out of the Hall, the silent crowd staring after them in dumbstruck fascination.

Draco also stared after them, then turned to Harry. "You're her brother?"

Harry nodded distractedly. "We found out right after the First Task."

"Well, I don't envy you," Draco said. "She's a real tiger when she's mad."

Harry sighed. "Tell me about it." Then, realizing who he had been talking to, he gave Draco a half-distrustful, half-bemused look and took off through the thinning crowd as well, Ron at his side.

Draco sighed, running his hands through his hair, then also headed out of the Hall toward the dungeons. All in all, it had been a very fun evening.

* * *

"Ooh, he _bugs_ me sometimes!" Renna raged, pacing up and down as Gabrielle sat on the marble staircase, watching her friend vent. "I am really, really happy that I found my real family and all that, but just because now we know we're related he has to go all protective of me! _Jesus! De tout stupide, collé-vers le haut, bastardly choses pour faire…"_

As Renna continued to rage about all of the stupid things her brother was capable of, Gabrielle watched as first Harry and Ron, then Draco, exited the Great Hall and paused, watching her warily. Rising, Gabrielle went over to the blond one and whispered, "Try to calm her down. I do not even register with her right now."

Draco gave her a startled look, then walked over to Renna and wrapped her in a hug, preventing her from pacing any more. "Relax, Renna," he murmured into her hair as she squirmed in his grip, mumbling into his robes. "He didn't mean to upset you. Slytherin and Gryffindor have been enemies for forever, and even though I don't hate him, he clearly feels uncomfortable with us hanging out."

Renna twisted around to look up at him. "Are you defending him?"

Draco smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I…guess so."

Renna smiled, then laughed, throwing her head back. "Oh, this is wonderful! Harry," she said, turning to look at her brother, "Come here." She broke out of Draco's hold and faced him as Harry warily crossed the hall. "Now," Renna said, "The only way you can make it up to me is to talk nicely all week to Draco."

Harry said incredulously, "All week?"

"Yes, Harry," Renna said. "Until next Friday."

"_Why_?"

"Because if you don't," Renna said, eyes narrowing, "I'll be even more angry at you than I already am."

"Is that even possible?" Harry mumbled under his breath, then said, "Okay, fine, for one week."

Renna's face lit up in a dazzling smile. "Thanks, Harry!" She said, throwing her arms around him. Just then the doors to the Great Hall opened and the other students trickled out; the ball must be over. They were soon surrounded by the flood, and Renna stepped closer to Draco for a moment. "I'll see you tomorrow," she murmured into his ear, before letting the flow of the students take her up the marble staircase.

"Right," Draco mumbled. "Tomorrow."


	9. Harry Gets Rather Wet

"Harry, you've got to work on that egg," Renna said, she and Hermione slipping into seats on either side of him in the library. "You've got less than a month."

"I don't have _any_ ideas," Harry said in frustration. "I have absolutely no idea what that wailing might mean."

"Well then you're lucky that I know exactly what it is," Renna retorted. "Hermione and I do. We've been researching it."

Harry gaped at them. "You know what it is?"

Renna waved that off with a flick of her hair. "That was the easy part. I told you, it's mermaid song. I mentioned it at the celebration party after the first task. Hermione and I have been researching them and there _is _a tribe of merpeople at the bottom of the Black Lake, so we know the clue has something to do with them. The only way to understand Mermish is to open the egg underwater. Their voices are human then, so you'll have to decipher the clue on your own, unless you'd like Hermione or me to crawl into the bath with you." Renna raised an eyebrow.

"No, I'll figure it out on my own, thanks," Harry said hastily.

Renna grinned. "You look very cute all flustered like that. So we figure your best bet is the prefect's bathroom, because the bathrooms in the dorms and all over the school only have showers. The password is -"

"Pine fresh," Harry interrupted. "Cedric told me. _Now_ his advice makes sense. He told me to take a bath," he clarified for the two girls, who had similar expressions of blankness on their faces. "Didn't explain a ruddy thing, just told me to take the egg and mull it over in the hot water."

"Why didn't you tell me this before, Harry?" Hermione said, affronted. Harry shrugged.

"It doesn't matter," Renna said. "Well, you know the password, so I suggest using your invisibility cloak to go down there tonight."

"How did - we didn't - how do you know about the cloak?" Harry asked.

Renna smirked knowingly. "You haven't been shielding your mind very well, Harry."

"You've been _rummaging_ through my _memories_?"

"Rummaging is a little strong," said Renna, tapping a quill against her teeth. "More like reading the thoughts that float to the surface and digging slightly. You're free to do the same thing to me, although all you'll find is embarrassing moments at Beauxbatons. And you can hear about those any time, just ask Gabrielle. _I _didn't have any odd Defense teachers, or murdering godfathers, or invisibility cloaks inherited from my father -our father, actually- or frequent brushes with Voldemort and death. You were in the hospital wing a lot, too."

Harry shook his head, resting it on his hands. "I can't believe this. I have someone else in my head too."

Renna patted his arm comfortingly.

* * *

"I'm - here," Harry panted, skidding to a stop in front of the judges.

"_HARRY! Where have you BEEN? I was worried sick!"_

"_Shut up, Renna. I'll be fine; you ever heard of something called gillyweed?"_

"_Um, no."_

"_Dobby swears it'll let me survive under water for an hour."_

"…_Who's Dobby?"_

"_Tell you later. Gotta go."_

"_Um, Harry, Ron and Hermione have disappeared…"_

"_It's okay, they're at the bottom of the lake I assume."_ Harry let Ludo Bagman position him where he wanted, continuing to talk to his twin. _"I'm supposed to rescue Ron. Krum's probably supposed to rescue Hermione."_

"_Of all the awful, despicable, nasty, cruel things to do, taking people is just…just…"_

"_Save it, Renna. I'll keep my link open. You want a running commentary?"_

"_Yeah, sure. I'll be here."_

Harry swallowed the gillyweed, and temporarily lost the open conversation channel with Renna as his body changed. Once he had figured out how to move most effectively with his new appendages, he reopened the link.

"_HARRY!"_ Harry flinched. _"Do not _ever _do that again! You scared me to death! I wouldn't be surprised if I had grey hairs now!"_

"_I highly doubt that, Renna."_ Harry paused. _"Why does it feel like you're going in and out?"_

"_Oh, the twins and Ginny want to know how you're doing too. The twins are laughing at my panic attack. Bloody idiots. So where are you? What's it like?"_

"_Very wet."_

"_Ha ha we are all very amused."_

"_Well, it is. All right, all right, no need to threaten bodily harm. I am currently swimming through a forest of weeds. Very slimy. Eeeewww. And I have gills! Did I mention that? Yeah, gills and flippers. Pretty damn awesome. Bloody hell!"_

"_Harry? Harry? Goddammit, stupid bloody boy keeps on shutting me down! Harry. Harry. Harry…"_

"_Sorry. Little crisis with some grindylows. Bloody hell!"_

"…_This shutting out thing is getting very old…"_

"_Well, Myrtle's pointed me in the right direction now…Yep, I think I can hear the mermaids singing. …They live in weird houses, I'm telling you. Well, they're actually caves."_

"_I don't care about the architecture, Harry Potter. All I are about is the fact that you're running low on time."_

"_I am? Shit."_

"_Hurry it up, hero boy!"_

"_Do. Not. EVER. Call me that again."_

"_Sorry."_

"_No you're not."_

"_Nope. Can you see Ron and Hermione?"_

"…_Yes I can. They're tied to a statue along with Cho and Gabrielle."_

"_Gabrielle!? Oh no. Is she all right?"_

"_Well, considering she's under some sort of spell, she looks okay. Now shut up, I need to concentrate."_

"_Yes, sir!"_

"……………"

"…_You're outside of the time limit, if you want to know."_

"_Oh, thanks. That makes me feel so much better about this situation. Fleur hasn't shown up, there are creepy merpeople surrounding me, and I'm late. Just bloody perfect."_

"_Harry! Fleur's just come up and been disqualified! Apparently…she…got attacked…by grindylows I think."_

"_I can vouch for that. Nasty little buggers. All right, that's it. I'm bringing Gabrielle too."_

"_You are? Oh, Harry! Thank you so much!"_

"_Did you expect me to leave her?"_

"_Well, no."_

"_Good. I have to cut the connection but you're perfectly fine staying in my brain as long as you don't distract me."_

"

* * *

"Gabrielle! Harry! Ron!" Renna vacillated, not sure who to help out. Percy and Fleur took the situation out of her hands by grabbing their own siblings, leaving Renna to grab a shivering Harry and help him over to Madame Pomfrey.

"Harry, you did brilliantly," she said, wrapping him in blankets. "It was really amazing."

"I finished last, Renna," Harry said, before Madame Pomfrey poured Pepper-Up Potion down his throat and he couldn't say anything for a long time.

Renna waved that away. "You made sure all of the captives got back safely. That counts for quite a bit, in _my _book." She was pushed out of the way by a breathless Fleur and a shivering Gabrielle, whom she hugged hard, not caring that she was getting even wetter.

The group finally headed back to the castle, chivvied along by Madame Pomfrey and all wanting nothing more than to get into dry clothing - although Hermione, Ron, and Renna congratulated Harry exuberantly on getting second place and still being tied in first place, this time with Cedric.

* * *

**One month later...**

"I cannot believe how well it's going," Hermione said in awe, watching with wide eyes as Harry and Draco walked down the hallway together, arguing about the best way to repel a Dementor. Heads turned and eyes widened as they passed, arguing comfortably and not angrily with each other. Ron was walking on the other side of Harry, abstaining from the conversation as he really knew nothing about it but following both points avidly. "I've never seen them this interested in anything other than Quidditch."

"Yes I know, it's quite amazing," Renna agreed. "I hadn't expected this level of comfort until the end of the year."

Hermione shot her an amused look. "Renna, it almost _is _the end of the year."

Renna waved this off. "Yes I know, but I meant _closer_ to the end of the year. May or June or whatever."

"Mmm. I see your point."

The two scheming girls watched the three boys for a while longer, analytical minds sorting, cataloguing and coming up with new schemes for the hapless teenagers. Finally Hermione said, "Come on, their argument is getting a little too heated."

"Yes," Renna sighed. "They're still very competitive."

"Well, you can't have _everything _at once."

* * *

**Hey waddya think? Good? Well it doesn't matter if you do or not because there's only one more chapter to this story!!!!!!! I might split it into two but I think not. This is my first full-length story that I've ever finished! I'm so proud of myself!**

**The next chapter is going to be almost entirely the Third Task. And there's a very short epilogue. But that's all! Isn't that wonderful?**

**Pfft. You don't care.**


	10. Shifting Worlds and Loyalties

* * *

Renna gasped, her eyes unfocused. "Harry!"

Ron and Hermione turned to look at her in concern, ignoring the noisy crowds around them, all waiting boisterously to see who would win the Third Task. "What's happened, Renna?" They asked.

"He's just…been _portkeyed…_" Renna said thickly, trying to sort out the almost delirious images she was receiving from her twin, already injured by the spider in the Maze.

"Where?" Asked Ron, Hermione, Mrs. Weasley, and Bill together, all leaning forward.

Renna didn't answer them, but stood up and shoved through the crowd, trying to keep her balance as she tried to keep in contact with Harry and reach Dumbledore at the same time. She stumbled like a drunken man several times, falling twice. She barely saw the people around her, their forms blurred and indistinct as she gave most of her attention to her twin and the pain she could feel in his head.

She felt Cedric die.

Her legs gave out, and she let herself fall bonelessly to the ground, not caring in a distant corner of her mind that the impact would hurt.

But before she hit the hard earth she was caught by a warm body, the person keeping her upright by the mere expedient of putting their body in the way. She gasped what could have been a breathless thanks, and leaned on them as she continued on her mindless quest to the Headmaster.

After what seemed like an eternity she fell against the judge's table and shoved Harry's connection to the back of her mind as well as she could. For a minute Renna gulped air, trying to gather enough of herself to speak. Finally she had it.

"Harry's - something's gone wrong. He and Cedric were portkeyed…" Renna raised her head and met Dumbledore's eyes. "A traitor…someone at Hogwarts…bewitched the Cup. Harry…Cedric…" Tears began running down her cheeks. "Cedric…"

"What happened, Renna?" Professor Dumbledore asked, coming around to kneel in front of her, eyes worried, distraught.

Renna shook her head, still gulping air and trying not to get overwhelmed by Harry's experiences. "Wormtail…in a graveyard…Cup was a portkey. Took Harry and Cedric to a graveyard. Cedric…" Her eyes filled with tears again. "Wormtail…tied Harry to a grave…Tom Marvolo Riddle's…" She gasped as Dumbledore suddenly gripped her arms painfully.

"What did you say?" He asked intently, eyes searching hers. "Whose grave did you say?"

"Tom Marvolo Riddle. Significant?" She didn't wait for his reply. "Wormtail brewing a potion. Pain…in scar…from spider also…snake circling in the grass…"

"What spider?"

"Spider in maze. Bit Harry. Hurts but not as much as scar…He's frightened. Scared. Harry, don't do nothing! Fight!" She sobbed for breath, the images almost overwhelming. "He can't. Tied." Her eyes opened wide, looking at something over Dumbledore's shoulder that only she could see.

"Renna. Renna _look at me_." Hands, different ones, gripped her shoulders and she was wrenched around to look into grey eyes. "You need to calm down. Get control. It's hard for us to know what you're saying, all right? Focus on me. That's good. Don't let Harry's mind overwhelm yours. For us to help we need to know what's happening. Can you do that for me? Yeah?"

Renna let the grey eyes center her and nodded. "Now," said the boy -it was a boy, she knew that much- "What's happening?"

"Wormtail's brewing a potion." Renna raised a hand to her right arm suddenly and flinched. "Cut us. Put father's bone, his hand, our blood into potion. Before that he dropped what must've been Dark Lord into cauldron. Scar hurts worse than ever before. We can't move." Her blurry peripheral vision saw dark figures surrounding her in a circle. Her eyes unfocused, the power of the events in a faraway graveyard threatening to pull her down again, and she lost sight of the grey eyes.

"Renna." She was shaken, and slapped lightly across the face. "Don't lose us. Keep talking."

She was aware of other voices raised around her, but nothing was important except those eyes and the visions flooding through her. "Dark Lord…Lord Voldemort…risen again." Renna screamed in terror, then, shuddering, snapped herself out of it and temporarily broke the connection completely. Her eyes, completely her own and fully aware, looked up into Draco's. "Don't let me get pulled down, Draco," she said. "I've got to stay aware. Don't let me get pulled down." She saw his nod of acquiescence as she reopened the connection, bracing herself.

Shuddering, she closed her eyes and then opened them, not meeting his eyes but staying coherent, although she worryingly reverted to the plural again. "He is uglier than we had ever thought, more terrible than we could have thought. He talks…he talks to us…about his dead father…and he had called the Death Eaters…and here they come…" Renna became aware of fingers digging into her flesh, pulling her back.

"Keep going, Renna," Draco's slightly ragged voice came through her haze. "You're doing great. He called the Death Eaters?"

Renna nodded. "Yes. He calls them his real family." She came back again to see consternation on the faces of the judges surrounding her. "Sorry. If I scare you when I refer to us in the plural, sorry, but most of my conscious is with Harry right now. That's where my _self_ is. I'm both of us right now." She was shuddering constantly now. "He talks to them. Names a few. Avery, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, Malfoy-" the fingers on her arms tightened convulsively "-Macnair. Empty places in circle. He says who should be there. Says the Lestranges, others we don't know. Sometimes he doesn't name them." She frowned slightly. "Three dead in his service, one too cowardly to return, one left him forever - he will be killed, of course - and one who has already reentered his service, that one's at Hogwarts. Harry, just hang on, Dumbledore's getting all this information as you see it. I'm fine, don't worry about me you twat! Worry about yourself, most of me's here with you. I'm here with you, Harry…" Her voice broke. "Yes, I know about Cedric…You are not going to die! We're all working on saving you…just hang on, Harry…"

Her narrative with a faraway Harry stopped, her gaze going unfocused again. Draco, afraid that she would go under and not resurface, shook her hard and slapped her again, shouting at her to stay here. Her eyes refocused on him with slight reproach. "Draco, we're doing my best here. It's confusing seeing through two sets of eyes, you know. And Harry needs me more."

"Renna, what's happening right now?" Dumbledore broke in, leaning forward.

"He's talking…about mum's protection on us…" her eyes rolled up and she screamed, her hands scrabbling for purchase and inflicting bleeding marks on Draco's face and neck. Grimly he held on to her, bearing the pain and trying to draw her back. Fortunately the attack did not last for long and she collapsed into Draco's arms, panting, with tears running down her face. "He…he touched…" she drew in a great sobbing, shuddering breath. "He touched…our scar…hurts…so bad…"

"Renna," Dumbledore said urgently, "You're getting too involved. Try to not get in so deep that you can feel Harry's pain."

"It's very hard, Dumbledore!" Renna snapped. "Why don't you give it a go! I have to give a lot of myself to reach him so far away, and when I get there the part of myself I sent gets sucked into his mind! You try resisting!"

"Dumbledore, you can't possibly expect us to believe that this child is communicating mind-to-mind with her twin," blustered Fudge.

Renna looked up, rage in her face, but Karkaroff beat her to it. "Believe it," he snarled, pulling his left sleeve up and shoving it under his nose. "Look at that! The Dark Mark, burned black as it has not for thirteen years. The Dark Lord calls us all, and I did not answer." he abruptly left Renna's side, and she fuzzily wondered at the empty space next to her.

"Reconnect, Renna," Dumbledore said, turning back to her. "How's Harry?"

"He's…oh no," Renna choked. "We're untied…he wants to duel with us!" She began to scream again, thrashing around even more violently. Dumbledore grimly joined his student in holding her down. "Crucio," she said, tears running constantly down her cheeks. "It hurts so bad…Dumbledore, help us!" She begged, meeting his blue eyes. "Send help! We're going to die."

"I cannot, Renna," Dumbledore said, his pain unmistakable. "I don't know where you are."

She did not answer, caught up in events happening hundreds of miles away. She was vaguely aware of words pouring out of her mouth in a flood, but did not know if they were coherent or not and at this point, didn't care.

_"Harry!"_

"_No don't distract me Renna got to concentrate"_

She followed his advice, not saying anything but offering wordless comfort and reassurance, following him as the golden cord was erected and never faltering in her flow of encouragement, not even when the golden globe enclosed them. When Harry engaged in the battle of wills, she helped him force the golden beads down into Voldemort's wand, and cheered at their victory. She could feel her vocal chords becoming raw from the many times she had been hit by _Crucio_ and in a infinitesimal part of her mind thought that her professors must have thought it odd when the Imperius had been cast on them. She was aware of the words still pouring out of her, but didn't know what they were and at this point didn't care.

She was with Harry as their parents gave them advice. She was with him as he ran through the graveyard, stayed with him as he realized that he couldn't lift Cedric's body, and stayed with him as he summoned the Portkey. Standing as the magic took effect, she shoved the people out of her way and ran, stumbling, to the edge of the maze.

She was with him when he appeared out of thin air, clutching Cedric's dead body in one hand and the still glittering Triwizard Cup in the other.

* * *

The last day of school...How ironic...

"Harry?"

Harry looked up at the doorway and saw his twin lean up against the doorframe. Mustering up a thin smile, he said quietly, "Hi Renna."

She came and sat next to him on the bed. "You ready to go?"

He nodded. "Pretty much."

She smiled at him. "Your shielding's gotten better." She rubbed her knuckles over his head.

Smiling as well, he swatted her hand away. "So has yours."

"The train leaves in ten minutes."

He nodded. "I know."

"People want to say goodbye to you."

He nodded again. "I know."

"Are you going to come downstairs?"

He shrugged. "Maybe."

"Monosyllabic answers aren't good enough for me, Harry. Come on." She hauled him up, responding to his protests by saying, "It's a good thing you're completely dressed, or I would have to help you with that." She steered him downstairs and straight into a Hermione hug.

Harry coughed and said, "Hey Hermione."

"Hi Harry," she said, stepping back and smiling at him. "C'mon, we want to get good seats."

The train trip home was full of laughter, even if Harry didn't do much of the laughing. But one thing he did smile at was Hermione's ingenuous capture of Rita Skeeter and her fitting punishment.

"Renna?" He asked as they stepped out of Platform 9 ¾ and began looking for parents.

She smiled at him wickedly. "Come on," she murmured, slipping her hand into his. "I can't wait to meet my aunt and uncle."

"I'm sure you'll love them," Harry said sarcastically, faking a sickeningly sweet smile. Renna laughed.

"I'm sure I will."

**

* * *

**

One hot, muggy day in July, Renna opened her front door in response to a knock and nearly spit out her sip of lemonade.

"Hi Renna." He looked up at her insecurely through his bangs, setting his bags down.

She didn't reply, just stepped aside and welcomed Draco into her house with a smile. Shutting her door on the heat, she said only one thing.

"I wondered if I was going to see you this summer."

* * *

**Oh my god. It's done. I finished it. Wow. This is an incredibly powerful moment. Although it's still going to get tweaked and adjusted and added to, it's mostly finished. Amazing.**

**I have a sequel in the works, so if you liked this one stick around and read the second one too.**


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